A Supernatural Story: The Fallen One
by atypicaldayoffanfiction
Summary: Holly can't remember the last 24 years of her life. She has no family to return to and no one to trust. However, once she meets the Winchesters' she learns that what she doesn't remember is for her own safety, and the world's. When Holly discovers her true self, she realizes that the war has just only begun. (set around Season 6) *Potential OC and SPN Character paring
1. Meeting the Winchesters

_**Author's Note:** Hey guys! So this is my first ever fanfic and I'm super excited/ nervous about it. I've been changing this chapter non-stop ever since I posted it because I have perfectionist problems and feel that I'm finding errors that don't really need to be fixed, but change it anyways. Please give me your views, thoughts, opinions, etc. so I know I'm at least having a few people wanting more. I almost have Chapter 2 done, but would like to see how people like the story from the beginning. Okay sorry for taking up space! Enjoy!_

* * *

Empty. Blank. Desolate.

My life had started with a blank canvas - like any recollections prior to now had been wiped clean from my mind. However, the best part of having a vacant past was choosing my own beginning.

My timeline truly begins on the night I met two of the world's greatest unsung heroes, the Winchesters. Back then, I had no idea what kind of monsters were out in the world hidden in the darkness before them. It never occurred to me that someday I'd chase those very same monsters by their side. However, the boys disappeared on the same night they found me, but I still remember the day we met like it was yesterday.

_I woke up dazed in the deep, dark depths of some unknown forest. Not a human to be seen or heard except for the chatter of wildlife around me. I was naked and cold. The damp ground beneath my body chilled me to the bone. I looked down and jumped in shock upon seeing a huge crater indent the earth where I laid. Frightened and afraid, I quickly rose to my feet and ran - ran until the mysterious hole was long behind me. _

_My feet crunched beneath the underbrush and the overhanging branches scratched at my face as I continued to sprint mindlessly further into the woods. I sprinted as far as my feet could carry me until a root hidden under a pile of leaves caught my toes, causing my face to meet dirt. _

_I tried to rise from the ground, but gasped in agony as my ankle radiated with pain. I cried out and hoped anyone could hear me. _

_"H-Help! Please!" I croaked as my throat forced out words between dry lips. Unfortunately, my only response was the chilly hands of the wind that nipped at my bare skin. I began to sob and curled into a ball on the forest floor, defeated. I exerted my already battered body as I wept and grew sleepy with exhaustion. The damp ground soothed me as I laid my cheek upon it. I encouraged the end to near as I laid there. When my sore eyes finally closed shut, I welcomed death, or whatever there was on the other side, with open arms. It was only when a strong hand shook my shoulder did I pull back from the darkness. _

_As I awakened, __my head raised to view the source that disrupted my transition to the afterlife. However, a warm, yellowed light temporarily blinded me of sight as my eyes adjusted from the contrast. _

_"Hey? You alright?" A gruff voice asked as a hand reached towards me again._

_I quickly cringed from away from it and shouted in fear. "Don't touch me!" I cowered, a hard surface hitting my back as my arms wrapped around my knees to pull my legs tightly to my chest. The hand instantly flinched away from my reaction. _

_"Sam, what the hell are we going to do with her?" The same voice spoke. "She's got no I.D., no name, and no cell phone. And not to mention, naked as a newborn. Trust me man, I wanna help her. I really do, but we have to worry about other things like the damn asteroid we saw hit the ground, for starters!" His voice bellowed, sounding exasperated. _

_"Dean, could you lower your voice? You are only going to scare her more." Another voice replied, his tone completely calm. _

_As they talked with each other, I took a mental note of my captors' names._

_"What do you suppose we do with her, huh? You want to become Mary Poppins and take her in?" Dean said mockingly._

_"Don't be so dramatic. We'll take her to the nearest police station, just be patient for a second" Sam responded._

_"Who are you? And what do you want?" I questioned fearfully, rubbing at my cloudy vision. A rough material was bundled around my body and I glanced down to realize that a giant jacket was zipped onto my frame, hiding my obvious nudity._

_"Hey, it's okay. It's alright. You're safe. I'm Sam and this is my older brother Dean." A very tall man approached me, his brown hair long and straight. "Don't mind his bad mood. He isn't always like that." He stated with a small smile, causing Dean to give him a quick glare before he continued. "Look, we were in the woods when we found you nearly dead on the ground. We are just trying to help." He added his eyes sincere. "Do you remember anything or anyone that could have done this to you?"_

_"I-I don't know. I can't remember. I can't remember anything. " I stuttered groggily. "I was alone." I blinked at him, my eyes widened with innocence. _

_I gazed at the elder brother named Dean as he kneeled down in front of me, handing me a water bottle. I snatched it from him swiftly and gulped down the refreshing fluid as I assessed him. He was also very tall, but didn't reach such towering heights as his younger sibling. His dirty blond hair was cropped short and his face bared a great deal stubble, yet, what startled me most was the beautiful shade of green in his eyes.  
_

_"We saw a rock, or a meteor if you will, hit the surface around this area. My brother and I came here to check it out and found **you**." He explained as his eyes evaluated me in return. "Why is that?"_

_My brows furrowed in concentration as I tried to recall anything before waking up in the forest. "I really don't know. I-I'm sorry." I apologized as I peered at his handsome face._

_He shook his head, his eyes closed in frustration. "Sam, we can't question her all night. She might have family or friends looking for her. Let's just leave this to the police. They should know what to do." He spun on his heel to face his younger brother. His eyes searched Sam's face to decipher his thoughts._

_"That's probably the best we can do." Sam replied, watching me with concern._

_ As a way to ignore their constant stares, __I observed my surroundings. I detected the walls were made of some sort of wood and found that the light from earlier was originating from a tiny fireplace occupying the middle of the room. The rest of the space was completely bare of anything else, except for a couple duffel bags and sleeping bags thrown in a corner._

_"Hey." Sam called my attention back to him. "We are going to take you somewhere safe. You won't have to worry. They'll clean you up and find your home as soon as we get there, alright?" He stated gently as if any sudden movement or noise would scare me off like a skittish fawn. _

_His face radiated compassion and his words sounded genuine. Knowing that I had no other options, I nodded my head in understanding. I wrapped the jacket tighter around my shoulders as he gently stood me up. I winced as I tried to stand on my forgotten injury and glimpsed down to see my ankle bandaged with gauze. _

_"Just a sprain." Dean spoke up as he noticed my scrutiny. "Looks like it hurt like a bitch to earn, but you should be as good as new in a couple weeks. Just try not to put all your weight on it." He reassured._

_ "Thank you." I replied and tugged my lips into a small smile of gratitude._

_ Sam steadied me as we walked outside to a sleek car parked out in front. He opened the door and helped me inside before slamming it closed. They both climb into the front seats soon after - the ignition roaring with a start. As Dean peeled away from the small shed, my eyelids began to droop once more from lack of rest and easily drifted off to sleep._

_I was jolted awake as the car came to a halt. I lifted my head to peep outside the window and saw a building titled KS Police Department at the top in big bold letters. I stretched my arms above my head and let out a loud yawn._

_"Good, you're awake." Dean stated from the driver's seat. "We're here princess." His eyes met my gaze in the review mirror, a smirk on his face._

_Sam got out to open my door and aided me once again while we trekked to the entrance of the structure, Dean followed close behind. "Um...Sam?" I asked hesitantly as I hobbled along the pathway with him._

_"Yes?" He hummed.  
_

_"I-I just want to say thank you-" Dean cocked an eyebrow so I added, "-you both, for everything. I wish I could repay you, but I don't really have anything to give." I proclaimed with shame.  
_

_"No, no. It's no trouble at all. We're just happy nothing bad happened to you. Luckily, we got to you first." He smiled kindly. "By the way, is anything coming back to you at all? Like an address or name?" he questioned.  
_

_"No, not really. It's in my brain somewhere... I can feel it, but it's coming out fuzzy, like- like I have loads of sand weighing down my memories, too thick and heavy to muddle through...if that makes sense." I tried to elaborate. _

_"Huh, interesting." He replied thoughtfully as he opened the front doors to the station. Dean flanked behind me and placed his hand on my lower back. He protectively led me inside, his support shown in his actions._

_We all approached the main desk where a lady in uniform talked on the phone. As soon as she hung up, the woman turned to us and eyed my state of distress before looking to the boys. "May I help you...?" She probed cautiously. _

_As they explained the night's events, I noticed the name plate on her chest. Rebecca Johnson was her name. She nodded attentively as she listened to Dean and Sam's account. When they finished, she met my eyes and gave me a friendly smile, her teeth bright against her dark skin. _

_"You alright, sweetie?" Rebecca drawled. "Sounds like you had a rough day. Not to mention, you looked like you went to hell and back." She commented, eying the dirt that covered my face, the bruises that scattered across my skin, and hair tangled and grimy atop my head. "You know, Officer Mayson here can take you around back to get cleaned up and give you a fresh pair of clothes? How does that sound?" She asked as she gestured towards the cop who sat next to her. The other officer rose as I nodded my head waving me along with her. _

_Meanwhile, Rebecca turned back to the brothers and spoke. "Thank you boys for doing this. She could've found anyone out there and I'm glad it was you two. Your help is much appreciated, but we can handle it from here. I promise she will be well taken care of." She pledged.  
_

_I observed the brothers one last time, my eyes shifting back and forth to each one. "I don't know what else to say other than thank you. If our paths cross again one day, I hope to repay you somehow." I declared with a firm voice._

_Dean decided to speak up before Sam got the chance. "No need to." He grinned. "It's the least we could do. I guess we'll see you around then, sweetheart." They waved goodbye before exiting the doors they came through. _

_Once the boys left, the station took up research. However, what they found was everything, but reassuring. I had no home address, social security, or evidence of even existing. Without my past to guide me, how was I supposed to remember who I was?  
_

_While the station investigated further, Officer Rebecca Johnson took me under her wing and into her home as her own. She managed to set me up with a job at a small diner in town, saying it was no big deal since she knew almost everyone in the area. I decided to use the opportunity to my advantage to save up money for my own place. Rebecca shouldn't have to be burdened with the responsibility of taking care of me forever. I wasn't_ _hers after all._

* * *

_ "Rebbecca, can I tell you something?" I asked as I rinsed the soapy plate she handed me, washing all traces of lasagna from the night's meal._

_"Of course. You can tell me anything honey." She mused, peeking at me from her peripheral. "Is there something wrong?"  
_

_"I-I just...Look, I don't want this to sound like I'm not enjoying my stay here with you or anything, because I am. I really am. But I-" I hesitated, continuing to scrub the plate even though it was already shiny and spotless. _

_"Honey, the plate's clean you don't need to drown it to death." Rebecca chuckled as she pulled the platter from my hands to place it on the drying rack. She turned to me and waited for my eyes to meet her gaze before speaking. "Holly. You don't have to explain yourself. I know you appreciate me. You've helped me ever since you moved in. You have only made my life easier. Just tell me what's on your mind." She placed a soft hand to my cheek, rubbing the skin there with her thumb in encouragement._

_I pulled my lips up into a small smile as I heard her call me by the name she specially chosen. "I want to get my own place you know? I want to have something to call my own. I want to live my life as people my age are supposed to. I-I just need to push my past behind me and only look ahead towards the future, but...I can't do that if I stay here." Tears prickled my eyes as I noticed this would be goodbye. "You've made me feel so at home here, like I was family, and I could never thank you enough for that. I will always see you as my mother, despite what I find out about my true family. You will always be the woman I see when I think mom." _

_"I know you will make me proud. I just hope that you will miss me as much as I miss you." She joked as tears began to stream freely down her own face. "Don't think that you can't come visit! If you're ever close by, just stop on in for dinner, or lunch, or whatever." ___She grasped my shoulders and pulled me into a long embrace._ "This house will always open to you. This will always be your home. No matter what." __She pulled away after a moment of silence to wipe at her face with her apron. "Okay, enough cryin'. We gotta get these dishes done." I pulled back from her with a laugh, eying her blotched face and runny mascara. She laughed along with me for I probably looked just as a mess as she did. _

_While we went back to cleaning the dishes, we happily reminisced in all the memories we had together in our home. _

* * *

It's been a couple months since my incident in the woods. I was enrolled in school nearby my work and found a small apartment that was just in town. I even tried to catch up with current events by watching whatever was on TV, but seeing pregnant teenagers and singing middle-aged actors in high school wasn't the information I expected to receive. However, as cable TV became my only source for entertainment, I easily watched every program that came on air, making me more media savvy than I would've liked. Though, despite the perks, life wasn't all that easy. I struggled day to day juggling school and work like everyone else, but everything was coming together and I finally felt at peace with who I was. I wasn't that girl lost in the woods anymore...I was just, me.

* * *

I lean against the ceramic counter behind my back, closing my eyes and taking a couple deep breathes after a particularly long and tiring day at the diner. Working the night shift after class was overbearing and my feet are aching from the constant stop and go.

I check to make sure all the doors are secure to the restaurant before strapping my backpack to my shoulder. As I stroll to the scrap metal that was my car, I pull out my phone from my pockets and slip the ear buds dangling from the device into my ears. Losing myself in the music, I hardly notice anything with the sound of harmonious voices and percussion filling my ears, including the stranger hiding in the dark alley as I pass.

The intruder jumps out from the shadows and my throat prepares to rip out a terrified scream until a sticky hand clamps down on my mouth, trapping all sounds from escaping it. A heavy body forcefully traps me against my car, making me utterly defenseless. Chills run up my spine as I stare into the merciless eyes of a man. The night conceals his features as he leans closer to me, his lips twisted up into a sneer.

"You didn't think we would find you, huh, darlin'?" The man's rank breath fans across my face. "Too bad Daddy is long gone and now there is no one here to protect you." He grins mercilessly as my mind spins with confusion and dread. I struggle against his weight and he pulls a knife to my throat, causing me to be still. "I've been waiting a **long** time to do this." He states harshly, poking the tip of his blade into the delicate skin of my neck.

"Hey! Douche bag!" A different voice shouts tauntingly, sounding weirdly familiar. The man ceases the movement of his knife and quickly turns around to inspect the empty street for its owner.

"Why don't you say that to my face, coward!" He hisses, his tone filled with spite, his eyes still sweeping the street. I knee him sharply in the groin and push him away from me into the light of the street lamp hanging above us. The man curses and glares at me darkly. The dim light revealing his face as his eyes turn black as night, making him look paranormal and deadly. My eyes widen in fear as the black-eyed man reaches for me once more.

"On your left." A shadow pops up behind him before a blade plunges into the man's back and out his chest. I watch in horror as his eyes and mouth burn a red and yellow color, an agonizing scream emitting from his mouth before he drops to the ground, dead.

I'm stunned into silence as my hero walks into the halo of light. "D-Dean...?" I choke out.

He pulls his gaze from the dead man to look at me - his face scrunching up in recognition. "Naked girl from the woods?" he asks, tilting his head.

"W-what are you doing here?"

He quickly straightens his leather jacket, an arrogant smirk gracing his face. "Well, it's nice to see you too. I guess."

Suddenly, the thought of him killing the black-eyed man just a few moments prior, comes to the forefront of my mind. "Are you insane!?"

His eyebrows rise in surprise from my rude tone. "...Excuse me?"

"You just killed someone!" I yell at him. "In front of me!"

"Yeah, well, he looked like he was about to stuck you like a pig, so what was I suppose to do?" He rolls his eyes, seemingly indifferent about the whole situation.

The statement stumps me momentarily. "Is that suppose to excuse you from committing a federal crime?"

"You don't even know what that guy was...do you?"

"A psychopath, obviously, but you seem to be the only one I'm concerned about at the moment." I claim.

"I just saved your life!"

"That doesn't really clear the fact that you murdered a guy in cold blood!" I retort. "You could've just knocked him out or **something**!"

"Just forget it." He rolls his eyes, exhaling furiously. "Have fun figure things out for yourself. I'm outta here." He spits.

I watch him stomp away, my feet wanting to rush after him, but my mind telling me differently. "Dean...w-wait!" I call out to him reluctantly, willing to sacrifice my sanity for answers. I run to catch up with him and pull on his shoulder to stop him from advancing further. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Thanks for saving my bacon, but can you really blame me for being a little overwhelmed here?" I eye him accusingly. "I almost got killed by some _lunatic_ and saw the life leave his eyes by _your_ hand, and it's not even the end of the day yet. Please...I need to know. For the last bit of rationality I have left, you owe me that." Goosebumps prickle my body as the image of the inky, black orbs of my almost killer haunt my thoughts. "I-I saw his eyes...They were pitch black..." You shake your head, not even believing the words coming out of your own mouth. "What **was** he?"

He sighs deeply before indulging me. "That guy was a demon. And it looked like he was tracking you for a whi-"

"A _demon_?" I cut him off. "You _got_ to be kidding me."

"I wish I was." Dean stares at me flatly.

"...You're _not _joking..." I pause. "..._Really_?" I ask again, questioning his sanity.

"Really."

"Dean, you better not be messing with me because I swear to God this isn't very funny." I laugh humorlessly, my heart rate picking up in speed.

"You saw it yourself." He rasps. "I don't know what more proof you want from me." He eyes my skeptical expression and he rubs a hand to his tired face, obviously irritated with the way things are going. "Look, I'm not hosting the latest episode of Punk'd here. The black eyes, the inhuman strength, the red and yellow glow that shot out of his ass? Those were all signs, sweet heart. See that right there-" He pauses to kick the corpse lying on the ground. "-is not human. Well, _was_ human until the poor bastard got possessed. And if demons want you, then you are officially on their radar, which is probably the worst position you could be in right now. Trust me, you don't want to get involved in anything these sons of bitches have to offer. They're bad news." He states. "And it's a good thing me and Sammy were in town at the right time. You'd probably be 6 feet under by now."

"Wait..." I waver. "Sam is...here?"

"Yeah, we're staying at a motel a couple minutes walk up the road...but I think _I_ should be asking the questions here." He reprimands, observing my themed uniform from the diner. He spots the name tag on my chest, claiming my name is Holly, and purses his lips in thought, but makes no comment about it. "Why, exactly_,_ is a demon tracking you down in the first place?" His eyes rise to meet mine with a cold stiffness.

"Do you think I know?" I take offense by his accusing glare. "All I knew an hour ago was calculus problems and a hundred different ways of making pancakes!"

"Hey, take it easy!" He raises his hands up in warning. "Do you want the whole damn town to hear you?"

"I'm finding out demons are real and you want _me_ to calm down?" I scoff.

"Oh, we are quite real cupcake." A voice interrupts us from across the street.

We turn our heads across the way to see a woman leaning against the side of an old antique shop. She tilts her head up to glower at Dean, her eyes immediately flicking black. "You just killed my friend there. Now, that wasn't very nice." She replies coldly. "Looks like I will just have to take a life for a life and that petty thing right beside you is going to be the first on my to do list." She continues, sauntering up to us both.

"Stay back, bitch." Dean recovers faster than me, pulling me behind him protectively. "You aren't gettin' anybody without going through me first." He raises his knife towards her, the tip covered with blood from his last kill.

"You think I would fight a Winchester by myself? Oh please, I'm not that stupid." She chuckles darkly. "I brought back up of course." She impishly smiles before signaling her hand in the air.

I shake with terror as two more figures, giant ones, walk out of the shadows next to us. "Uh...Dean? We got some more company." I point out as two barbarian-sized men stroll out of the alley and approach him, their scowls menacing.

Dean whispers to me quickly as he sizes up the men. "You stay down and stay low. Don't try anything stupid that will get you caught in the crossfire. I can handle this, got it?" I nod as I step away from him considerably, squatting behind a car. Dean dauntingly twirls his blade around his fingers - his legs stancing into fighting position. "Who's the lucky lady that wants to go first?" He calls out smugly, encouraging them forwards with the flick of his blade. When the demons circle around him instead, his grin widens further. "Alright...bring it on fellas."

The woman runs at him first and dodges his swooping knife, just barely. She spins around and lands behind him, pushing him forward with a harsh shove. "Need to be faster than that, Deano." She purrs as she runs at him again in full speed. This time he gets a hold of her arm and twists it sickeningly behind her back, the position holding her in place. She gasps in pain as Dean speaks into her ear, "Don't underestimate me _too_ much, bitch." The woman glares at him furiously before his knife plunges into her chest, dropping her body next to her deceased partner on the floor. He looks towards the two demons behind him, motioning them forward with a finger. The gigantic men stalk towards him, their fists already up and ready.

"We've been waiting to get our hands on a Winchester." One of them growls, his eyes shining with vengeance. "This will be fun, won't it?" He glances at his equally as massive friend beside him. "Sure will."

The two throw every possible gut-busting punch, but Dean dodges them swiftly. His speed being an advantage to their strength. The duo easily grow frustrated and choose to trap him between their hefty frames like a cage of solid muscle. As Dean begins to lose his footing, one of the men clutches his neck from behind into a powerful choke hold.

"Not so easy to escape now is it? Boy, I'm going to enjoy chewing on your flesh." They mock as Dean struggles against the man's strong grip. The other demon at his front knocks the knife out of his hand, wrenching his arm back and landing a blowing punch to his gut. Dean groans in pain, but his face masks the agony, not willing to reward them with his suffering as they continue pounding his body into a pulp.

I watch on in panic while Dean struggles against the other massive man's tightening choke hold, his face pinking from the lack of air. I look around frantically thinking of anyway to help him. I could go run and get Sam, but what if I was too late? I didn't even know where the motel was. I smack myself on the forehead when I realize that I still have my backpack on my shoulder. I hastily slip it off and search inside for anything useful. I rifle through one pocket finding dirty school cloths, a calculator, a bottle of water, a cell phone, and some markers. I huff in irritation before unzipping the next pocket, instantly seeing my huge calculus textbook.

I silently thank the Gods before pulling it out. I whistle for Hulk twin number one's attention as I weigh the book in my hand, calculating how far and how strong to throw in order to hit my target. "Hey! Frankenstein's monster!"

Once his attention is on me, I throw the textbook as far as I can, seeing it hit him square in the head. He stumbles back in a daze, releasing Dean from his grasp. I pump a triumphant fist to the sky as Dean staggers away from him, gasping for air. When he gains enough oxygen in his lungs, he reaches down and grabs the fallen knife from the sidewalk to stab the man directly in the heart. The demon convulses with the same red and yellow glow as the others.

The remaining demon glares at me, his black eyes cruel, when his last comrade falls down to the growing pile of bodies on the floor. "Oh, shit." I gasp as he charges towards me like a bull, his piercing eyes keeping me frozen into place. Luckily, Dean catches up to him before it's too late and tackles him to the ground. They tussle on the sidewalk, punching, and kicking for dominance over one another. Somehow Dean manages to get the monster on his back and pins his arms down with his sturdy legs. He roars in finality as Dean sinks the knife into his torso, cutting him off short with a gurgling sound.

Dean slowly rises from the last demon's body panting heavily and wipes the sweat off his forehead. He glances at the motionless body one more time before glowering at me. "What did I say about keeping low?!"

I stare at him in disbelief. "I was just trying to help."

He shakes his head in frustration as he goes to pick up the item that I threw. "Seriously? A damn math book? Are you nuts?! What were you trying to do, huh? Give us a math lesson?"

I flush from embarrassment, crossing my arms in defense. "Well, it was the only thing I had! It's not like I carry around weapons every day to kill Hulk-sized demon men."

He pauses a little to take a breath, still wearing an annoyed expression as he closes the distance between us. "One demon was enough already, but four? Somethin' weird is going on here." He shakes his head disapprovingly.

"I just...I don't understand. Why would demo-_they_ want me?" I ask, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "I'm just a normal member of society. What really makes me so damn important to them?"

"Ever since we found you in the woods with no memory, no identification - nada. I wouldn't exactly call you normal." He adds sarcastically. "Look, just come with me and we'll try to figure this out together, alright? Sam and I will keep you safe for the time being. I promise." He declares, placing his hands on my shoulders to temporarily soothe me. I sigh and nod in agreement, knowing I really didn't have a choice in the first place, besides, after what I've seen, there was no way I was leaving Dean's side now.

He smiles and slaps a hand to my arm, pleased with my response for once. "Welcome to the world of the supernatural."


	2. The Call

_**Author's note:** Hey guys! Please bear with me because this chapter doesn't have much action, but chapter 3 definitely will (already 1/3 of the way done at the moment). Also don't forget to write some reviews! Tell me what you think will happen, what you want to see, how you like it/ dislike it! I would love to hear feedback from readers! Okay now back to the story…._

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up." I state shaking my head. "Just give me a minute to let all this absorb."

I hear Dean drag the dead bodies into the alley way to hide from the public's eye and open my eyes to watch him. I highly doubted that hiding the corpses there would be a good idea, but I make no comment to correct him. When he finishes with his work, he grabs my arm and tugs me with him towards the way of the motel, his eyes scanning the street for anymore intruders.

"You want to take the time to figure this all out _now_? The last couple of minutes should've made it clear to you that it's not safe to stay here."

"Wait, why am I even trusting _you_ in the first place?" I retort, pulling away from his grasp on my arm. "I mean, I know, you saved my life about 10 times now, but I don't even know _you_ Dean. Who you are, what you're doing here, how you found me? How do I know that you aren't here for all the same reasons those demons are, _huh_? How can I even trust anyone anymore?" I declare in frustration. "Ever since that night you found me, my life has been difficult to say the least, but now I'm where I want to be and you just want me to drop everything I've ever worked for? I need answers and I need them now before I go through more of this- this craziness!"

Dean watches me for a long while, probably deciding whether to knock me out or not, since my big mouth didn't bring such nice of company from our last argument. "You know you were a lot easier to handle when we first met." He sighs deeply. "Look, I get it. I really do, but _not here_. I'll tell you everything you want to know back at the motel, but we got ears listening out here. Anything we say could be too much of a risk. Just humor me until I get you there." His green eyes plead.

"Fine, but I request one thing." I demand. "You tell me who you _really_ are. How the hell do demons even know you by name anyways? Because I'm pretty sure all the people I've encountered haven't met a demon in their entire life!" I close my eyes, willing the pounding in my brain to stop. I rub my temples and try to speak less harshly. "Really though Dean, for all the things you and your brother have done for me, I can only give my honest gratitude, and I'm sorry if I'm being difficult here, but my life is getting taken away from me- _again_. It's like the world is trying to outcast me and I'm sick of it." I confess.

He eyes the scowl on my face and awkwardly places an arm around my shoulder in comfort. "I'm sorry. Really, but this, " he gestures around me, "This is you're life now. You just gotta live with it. And lemme tell you, with demons in the mix it's only going to get worse. I've dealt with them too many times to count."

My eyebrows rise in interest. "...How many times we talkin'?"

"Since I was a kid." He admits, shoving his hands into his pockets. He begins to lead the way, walking ahead of me, looking distracted with his thoughts.

I have to run to catch up with his long strides. "Since you were a kid? How does a kid happen to come across something like that?"

"Well, it wasn't out of nowhere." He proclaims. "My childhood was actually pretty normal until we lost my mom to a demon. I was only four years old and Sammy was just a baby. It put my dad in a bad place and he took it hard on himself. All he could think about was revenge on the son of a bitch. Heck, Sam and I practically learned how to use guns and knives before the age of ten. We searched for the demon responsible and the job just stuck. We began hunting down all kinds of monsters you wouldn't believe."

"What are you?" I ask in awe. "Some kind of specialized Ghost buster?"

"I guess that's one way you could put it, but we call ourselves hunters. We save people from the things that they have nightmares about. Me and Sam travel across the country to keep my dad's legacy alive and have been hunting monsters ever since." The way his eyes avoid mine as he tells me about his family catches my notice. Under the dim light of the lamp posts, he looked vulnerable. Like a man who has seen things no one should ever see.

"I'm sorry to ask," I apologize. "-but did you find it? The one that killed your mother...?"

"Yeah." He confirms. "A couple years back." I didn't need to ask to know the demon was dead. The look on his face told me it was well taken care of.

"And your father? What happened to him?" I question curiously, mesmerized by his life story.

"H-he died to save me." His voice almost comes out as a whisper. His eyes scan the concrete as I scrutinize him. My heart breaks with all the pain him and Sam have had to go through. All the sacrifice they gave just to save people they didn't even know. It changed the tough man I once saw before me into a lost boy.

Dean doesn't continue so, I drop the subject for his sake. "Okay, that's all I need to know for now." I see him quietly sigh in relief. "But, if you don't keep your promise-" I threaten.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll hit town runnin'. Got it." He cuts you off, his voice taking on his usual cocky tone again. "Let's get off the street. We're here."

We soundlessly walk to some shabby looking motel, the lights spelling out 'The Comfy Hut' in ugly yellow letters. It looked anything besides comfy.

Dean's eyes keep sweeping the area, his hand inside his jacket to pull out his knife if necessary. As we reach one of the doors on the bottom floor, he knocks rhythmically on the wood. We hear a shuffling come from inside before the door opens to reveal a ruffled looking Sam.

"Sam!" I surprise myself by hugging his waist. As much as I liked to deny it, deep down I trust them completely. Yeah, I might be lying to Dean to cover my own ass, but who was I kidding? If they really wanted to hurt me they would have done it a long time ago.

"Whoa. Hey, there." Sam stumbles back as his huge arms awkwardly wrap around me. "Nice to see you again." He quickly smiles down at me. "Well, I guess I see what took you so long Dean." He chuckles.

"Holly here has got a couple of fans from down under. I had to gank a few demons just to get her here in one piece." He reports. I glance at him in surprise for using the name Rebecca gave me. He must have noticed my name tag.

Sam pulls away from my embrace to face him fully. "Dean! I thought we agreed to wait until we could explain things to her." He huffs, looking disappointed.

"Sammy, cut me some slack alright. I obviously didn't want her to find out like this either, but it's probably better this way. Now she has seen with her own eyes what those douche bags are capable of. This just made our job a whole lot simpler. " He responds with a shrug and winces slightly in pain from the action. As he tries to cover up the movement, I remember his body was used as a demon's personal punching bag not too long ago.

"Dean is hurt. He got pounded pretty bad by a couple of demon Hulk men." I quickly tell Sam, ignoring Dean's whine of objection.

Sam walks up to Dean to assess the damage, but Dean slaps his hand away when he tries to lift up his shirt. "Stop being such a wuss. Let me see if I need to stitch it up or not."

Dean throws a glare in my direction and I roll my eyes at him in return. When Sam reveals his chest, I let out a gasp. The area across his abdomen is scattered with purple and blue. I could actually see red imprints of the guy's fist on his chest. Sam goes to touch a particularly black bruise and Dean hisses in agony.

"This could be bad, Dean. They could have broken a few ribs, ruptured an organ, or something. Are you sure you're okay?" He observes him carefully.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nothing I can't handle." He brushes him off, pushing his shirt down. "I've dealt with worse."

Sam eyes him sternly before pulling his attention back to me. "Wait, Dean just called you Holly right? So, is that your real name?"

"Actually, no. It was given to me. That officer we met that night when you both found me, Rebecca, she named me Holly." I proclaim, my heart aching a little from missing the woman. "She took me into her home and gave me a new start. Treated me like her daughter. She took good care of me until I moved out on my own."

Sam beams warmly at me. "I'm glad she kept her promise with us then. At least you have one person you can trust out of all this mess." He sighs. "Speaking of trust…I guess we should tell you why we're here."

I sit down in a chair folding my legs under myself, waiting patiently for one of them to speak. As they falter in uttering a single sentence, I speak up for them. "To make things simpler, maybe I should ask the questions." I say and continue when they both nod. "So...have you both been following me around or what?"

"I wouldn't say following. More like taking an extra precaution." Dean defends.

"_Precaution_? What for?" I ask incredulously. "Well, besides the fact that I was almost killed four times tonight." I add with a wave off my hand. "Anyways, nothing has happened since the last time I saw you guys. My life was completely normal, or as normal as it gets. Why would I need to be looked after?"

"If this is going to become a game of fifty questions, then I'm going to need a beer." Dean answers with a grumble, rising from the bed, a hand rubbing his stubbled face. He strolls towards the mini fridge located in the front of the small room.

Sam instantly frowns. "Don't mind him. Sometimes he gets a little crabby if he stays up past midnight." He adds, causing me to giggle.

"I heard that." Dean retorts as he bends down to grab a Bud Light. "You guys want one?"

"Might as well. My life has already been threatened enough for one day. I think that should be good enough a reason for alcohol, right?" I state as he goes to throw me a beer. I catch it easily and pop the top open with the wood armrests of the chair I currently occupy.

"Now, there's something I'll agree with." Dean smiles proudly, pointing the tip of his bottle towards me in respect.

Sam rolls his eyes as we take a long swig before continuing. "Ever since we found you, weird things have been happening. Cow mutilations. Mass murders. Abductions." He goes on. "We didn't think that it had to do with you until it was reported in the papers that an imprint of a body was found in a crater that very same night. You don't know anything about that, do you?" His eyes search my face.

My eyes take interest at the ugly green carpet on the floor. _Great, a blast from the past. I thought it would be all behind me by now, but I guess it had to come back around sooner or later._

"Look, I promise you I _definitely_ didn't know about any kidnappings, cow killings, or murders." I tell them firmly. "I will admit though, that the crater _might_ have something to do with me." I see them wanting to interrupt and quickly cut them off. "Let me finish! Can you please think of this from my point of view please? I had no clothes, no memories, and no contact of anyone. Add that to lying in some giant hole in the ground and it sounds like the beginning of an X-Files episode. I don't know how I got there or who put me there. All I remember is being scared out of my wits and running away, only to pass out and wake up to you guys. I swear I have told you guys nothing, but the truth since the beginning."

Dean purses his lips before speaking. "Mhm. Well, I'll be damned. Have we ever heard about anything like this before Sammy?"

"I don't think so. Maybe we should call Bobby. Find out anything that's sounds similar to this kind of case. You know we could also call-"

"No." Dean interrupts him. "Let's not bring bird boy into this right now. You know how he is."

I stare at them curiously. "Know how _who_ is?"

"He's uh- some guy that might be able to help us, but I highly doubt you would want to meet him. Trust me. He ain't much of a people's person and I think you've had enough surprises for one day." Dean cocks his eyebrow.

"Well if he can help us out, then why not? I think I can handle a couple more surprises." I insist, crossing my arms across my chest to show them I mean business. "We already got the ball rolling so let's just keep it that way."

Sam and Dean gaze at each other, silently communicating between themselves. I see Sam nod and Dean lets out a long groan. "Alright, we'll call him. Just- don't bother him, okay? He's a stubborn- guy."

"So, he's not a people person and is stubborn. Got it."

"Okay, here it goes. Castiel?" Dean calls, closing his eyes and putting his hands together in some weird prayer-type fashion. "Hey. We need you here man. We kind of got a problem on our hands and we need your help. Cas? I know you can here me." I stare at him incredulously as he speaks to the ceiling.

"What are yo-" The room begins shaking making my mouth close. Once the room comes to a standstill, I notice another body has joined us.

"Hello, Dean. Sam. What do you want?" A man in a trench coat grumbles. He doesn't seem to notice me until I quickly get up from my seat.

"Who-How the heck did you get in here?" I ask my eyes wide in confusion. My eyes widen further as he suddenly pops out of sight. "Okay, what the hell is going on!?" I search for the trench coated man and fail in finding him.

"Holly, it's alright. He's a, well, a friend." Sam proclaims.

"I believe the term ally is more appropriate." That same deep voice appears again, but behind me. I turn around to find him inches away from my face. I flinch away from his nearness as he observes me with his big blue eyes. "Who is she?"

"Well, it's a long story…" Dean fades off.

"Dean this is not a game." The man turns to him. "There is something about her. She feels...different. A power radiates within her, but I cannot decipher it."

"Power...?" I muse in confusion. "Listen to me...sir..." I waver under his steely gaze. "I don't know what kind of magic crap you just pulled, but I promise you I'm the least from powerful you can get. Talk about a human form of a cabbage patch baby."

Sam and Dean stare at me in amusement as Castiel's eyes squint at me in irritation. "Then, what are you?"

"I don't know. A human being? What are _you_?" I glance at him, my eyes trailing down his coat and suit. "A tax collector?"

His eyes turn into slits. "No, this is my vessel."

"A vessel...? Is that supposed to be some fancy suit brand like Armani?"

"Who is Armani?" He questions, turning to Dean, confused.

"Okay, will you both knock it off? If you guys go at it any longer I'm going to get a migraine." Dean complains, shaking his head in annoyance. "Cas, Holly. Holly, Cas. Cas here is an angel." He quickly introduces.

"An angel." I repeat sarcastically. "Seriously? Angels are supposed to have halos and wings, this guy-" I stare him up and down. "-does not look like an angel.

"I am angel of the Lord." Castiel declares, his chest puffing out in anger. "You should show me some respect."

I ignore his remark, turning to Sam and Dean. "So, we have angels, we have demons, and we have monsters. What are you going tell me next? That Jacob and Edward are BFF's at Monster High?"

"Who are you talking about? I don't know a Jacob and Edward." The angel's head practically tilts all the way to his shoulder.

"Actually..." Sam cuts in," vampires and werewolves are real…just so you know."

"Okay, and that's where I cross the line." I quickly surrender. "I'm sorry. I just can't do this! I thought I could handle it, but this was the tipping point for me. I have seen-" I halt mid-sentence as two fingers touch to my forehead. My vision fills with black and I slump to the floor, hitting the carpet face first.

It seems like I've been out for hours, but it's really only been a couple of seconds. I try to open my eyes, but I feel a blackness pulling me back into unconsciousness. Despite being completely paralyzed from movement, I could vaguely hear the trio arguing away in the room.

"What the hell Cas?!" You hear a gruff voice yell, Dean. "You can't just put people in comas. You know how pissed she will be when she wakes up?"

"You should be cautious of her more than anything else." Another voice states, void of all emotion, obviously Castiel. "She is not...human, Dean. Something that could be a threat to us all. She might even be the cause of Heaven's total chaos. You have to get rid of her."

"Please, she's hardly a threat to anything, but herself. When we came across demons, she chose a math book as defense." Dean scoffs. "You think that is what we should be scared of? A girl who makes pancakes and pies for a living, and uses textbooks as a weapon of choice?"

"He's right Cas. She's been nothing, but normal whenever we checked up on her. Yeah, it was weird when we found her in the woods, but that doesn't mean she's anything dangerous. Besides, we can't just leave her to fend for herself. If the demons want her then we have to keep her safe. Either we have her on our side or she's left to them unprotected." Another voice adds reasonably, Sam.

"Two out of three. Sorry Cas, but no need for debate on this one. She stays put." Dean confirms, not allowing the angel to speak further. "Now, wake her up so we can deal with this."

I hear silence for a couple of moments before feet shuffle closer to me. I feel a hand lay on my shoulder and wake up instantly. I groan, holding my head in my hand and peer up at Castiel standing above me. "What the hell just happened?" I grumble, getting up from the floor and rubbing my back.

"I put you into slumber because you were being arduous." He states simply.

"Well, don't do it again." I murmur furiously, putting emphasis on every single word. "Seriously, what is wrong with you? I thought angels were supposed to be all Alleluias and sunshine, you sure proved that to be wrong."

He glares at me in frustration. "The Winchesters should not be helping you. You will only bring them harm. I have kept them as safe as I possibly can ever since my rebel and the apocalypse. I will not let some _girl _be the cause of their obliteration."

I glance to Dean and Sam for an explanation. "I guess you guys forgot to mention the world coming to a never ending doom too? Must've just slipped your minds." I snap sardonically.

"Holly, look." Sam begins. "It's a really long story and not the most important thing we got going on right now." He cuts me off as I'm about to interrupt. "We will tell you what you need to know if we have to. The rest of our history is long and complicated and I highly doubt you want to hear the whole thing."

"So, the apocalypse is just another night out? Am I missing something?"

"No, but it's behind us." He clarifies as I try to calm my spinning mind. "You weren't even here when it happened. We found you six months after. It's been almost a year in total."

"Besides," Dean adds in. "It was total crap on Earth. It's nothing worth mentioning, trust us."

I roll my eyes, falling down into my chair again, covering a hand over my eyes. "I'm starting to hear that a lot lately."

"Sam, Dean." Castiel abruptly speaks. "I have to leave, but I'll be in touch. Call me if there is anything you need help with." We all jump at the sound of his voice, completely forgetting he was there. He turns to me, his eyes squinting once again. "I hope I don't see you again. Once was more than enough." He spits, his blue eyes piercing.

"Nice meeting you too." I respond cynically, sticking a hand out for him to shake, but he pops out of sight instead.

Sam sighs, sliding his fingers through his long hair. "Well, that went well."

"Tell me about it." Dean speaks up, pulling out his car keys. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved. I'm gonna go get some grub. You guys want anything?"

Sam and I both shake our heads. "No, I'm good." Sam says.

"Not hungry." I add in.

"Whatever, your loss. We'll talk more when I get back." He hollers behind him before walking out the door and slamming it shut.

The silence lengthens after Dean drives away from the parking lot and you clear your throat awkwardly. "Sam...can I ask you something off topic?"

"Yeah, shoot." He states as he walks to his bag grabbing out a laptop.

"When Castiel was talking about the apocalypse, he also mentioned something about rebelling...What did he mean?" I question curiously.

"Well, believe it or not Cas used to be an even bigger dick when we first met him, but his time here made him change. He became more of aware of humans and their feelings rather than being like the other soldiers from Heaven. He even sacrificed his position in the garrison to help me and Dean stop the apocalypse and we kinda grew into a team because of it. You have to give him credit though. He already died for us once." Sam spoke highly of him, respect shining in his eyes. "Of course there is a lot more to it, but like a said, long story."

"Wow." I say in surprise. "I can't believe that's the same guy I just met. You think he would respect me more if I just jumped off the face of the Earth?"

"Maybe, but there is no way Dean and I are letting you go without a fight. We're still hunters. We have a duty to protect people and you need our help now more than ever." He declares. "We promise we won't let anything bad happen to you."

I smile slightly at his declaration. "Thanks. It means a lot for you to say that, really. I just hope what the angel said was wrong." I look down to the ground, scraping the tip of my shoe against the carpet.

"That he was wrong about what?" Sam asks confused.

"He said I was a threat to you. I don't want to cause any more trouble than I already am. It seems that everywhere I go, I mess things up. You and Dean have done so much for me. You don't deserve that kind of responsibility added onto your shoulders. You got enough on your plate as it is."

"Holly-" Sam begins, but the sound of my phone ringing interrupts him before he says anything else.

"Sorry, could you give me a minute." I apologize, pulling out my phone to see Rebecca's name flash across the screen. "It's Rebecca." I tell him before accepting the call.

"Hey, Rebecca." I answer. "What are you doing up so early? It's like one in the morning." I laugh lightly, but I hear no response. "Um-Rebecca?"

I hear a shuffle in the background and a shaky breath sound on the phone. "H-Holly?"

"Rebecca...? What's wrong?" My voice laces with worry. I see Sam get up from his seat and walk towards me with an anxious expression on his face.

"Holly." Her voice trembles with terror. "You aren't safe! Get to the police station now!" She speaks before a loud slap echoes from the phone, followed by a loud thump in the background.

"Rebecca!? Rebecca are you alright!? Talk to me!" I yell into the receiver, but a different voice responds instead.

"Holly, nice to hear from you." A male voice purrs, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Looks like you're becoming more of a pest to find so I thought I'd pay your little friend here a visit." He chuckles darkly.

"What are you doing to her?! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with me!" I yell at him as Sam tries to listen in.

"Oh, but she has everything to do with you." He says smugly. "Looks like you made a nice little home with this bitch. Too bad the walls will be painted with her own blood _very_ soon." I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"I'll kill you if you touch her." I threaten my voice low and deadly.

"Please." He laughs. "You can have me all to yourself when you get here, but if you decide to stay hidden, then she will be the one to pay." He declares before the phone clicks dead.

I drop the phone out of my hand, feeling like my heart was stuck in my throat.

"Holly? Holly!" Sam shouts, looking at me earnestly. "What's wrong?" His hands lightly shake my shoulders to bring me out of my shocked state.

"S-Sam." I choke out, my eyes filling with tears. "He has Rebecca. A demon has my mom." I lean towards him sobbing into his shoulder. "He said if I don't meet him then he'll kill her."

Sam grabs me tightly to his chest. "Shhh…..It's going to be alright." He says soothingly, pulling me back to look me in the eye. "We need to call Dean, right now."


	3. Fallen One

"Hey, I got your missed calls, what's up?" Dean walks in with a fry in his mouth and a bag of food in his hands.

"I need to go. I need to help her!" I shout, pacing around the room. My mind spins madly with images of what the bastard could be doing to Rebecca at this very second.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Dean hollers as he takes in the atmosphere of the room. "Sam, what the hell is she talking about?"

"A demon has Rebecca hostage. They just called Holly and told her to be at the house or else she would die." Sam explains, his voice strained, but controlled.

"He has her Dean. He could be torturing her or _whatever_ the hell demons do! I have to go. I have to help her." I quickly grab my coat and rush towards the door.

"Hey, hey, hold your horses." Dean stands in front of the only exit out of the room. "We can't just barge in there guns blazing! We need to think about this. If the demons are using Rebecca as bait, then it's all the more reason not to go."

"She is not just some woman. She cared for me! Loved me like her own! I will not repay her kindness by leaving her to die by some demons hand. I'm going whether you like it or not!" I angrily scream in his face .

"Dean's right." Sam speaks. I turn to stare at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I know how hard this must be for you, but if we walk into this trap who knows what will happen? They could capture you and still kill her despite the deal. You can never trust a demon."

"What about Castiel? He could help us right?" I ask, sounding desperate. "Yeah, we didn't start out on the right foot, but he should want to take out some demons right? Aren't they eternal enemies or something?"

"We can't promise that he would come." Sam clarifies. "Castiel has his own agenda. Sometimes he just pops in and out whenever we least expect it."

"Fine! Forget the angel." I grumble as they watch me with apprehensive eyes. "You know if you don't help me, I'm just going to save her on my own. No matter what you say, this is - this is total bullshit!"

"And...that's why I'm glad we have these." Dean pulls out a pair of handcuffs from his duffel bag, waving them in front of my face. "For special occasions."

I squint at him in fury. "You wouldn't dare."

"Sam and I have no choice. We need to keep you safe, that is our priority." He states as he grabs one of your wrists and snaps the cuff into place. I struggle against his strong hold on my arm as he cuffs me to the post of one of the beds.

"You don't have to man handle me." I scoff, my glare deepening at him.

"If looks could kill." He murmurs amused, which only pisses me off even more.

"You know, you can be a real ass." I sneer.

"The feelings mutual princess and guess who has first watch tonight." He winks with a smirk.

"Dean stop pissing her off." Sam cuts in, nudging his brother away from me. "Holly, we aren't going to leave an innocent woman to die. Our job is to save people and this case is no different. We just need to think things through first before acting out, alright? Besides, what use would it be for them to kill her right away?" He points out. "It's just a meaningless threat to get you in their hands faster. They wouldn't do anything that reckless unless they were sure you weren't coming." Sam reassures. "It's been a long night. I think we should all rest before dealing with this tomorrow and clear our heads a bit. Agreed?"

I nod reluctantly while Dean makes a noise of approval in the back of his throat, falling into a chair and turning on the TV. Sam blows out a tense breathe before going back to work on his laptop.

There is still no sign of Castiel as the clock strikes early morning. My simmering anger keeps me awake as Dean watches some crappy cartoon channel. He offers me food, but I rudely decline to eat anything he touches. Sam is passed out on the other bed, his chest rising and falling deeply with each breath, his laptop still in his lap.

"You know I don't get why you like Sam so much." Dean suddenly speaks, stuffing his mouth full of meat patty. "He didn't always use to be all lollipops and rainbows you know."

"Sam? Not nice? Are we talking about the same person here?"

"A few months ago he would have killed about anyone that would get in his way." He says casually, his eyes watching the images playing on the screen. "Trust me, you're lucky you met him after he got his soul back." As soon as the sentence leaves his mouth, he begins to choke on his food, coughing madly.

I open my mouth to begin bombarding him with questions, but close it shut. "You know what? I'm just not even going to ask. As long as Sam has his soul, no need to explain." I wave him off. "Plus, seeing you choke on a chunk of meat was enjoyable enough to watch."

"I would say thanks, but now not so much." He responds flatly before taking on a more serious tone. "You do know we are trying to do what's best for you, right? We aren't going all Guantanamo Bay for no reason."

"Totally, being cuffed to a bed is a great way to spell out friendship." I snap.

"Look. I know you're pissed, but what we're doing here is the best way to protect you. Sam and I have dealt with these situations before. We know what we are doing. You just need to trust us." He eyes me sympathetically.

I brush off him off, ignoring his attempts to get boost my spirits. He keeps his gaze for another moment before gluing them back to the TV. While he's distracted, I search around the room for anything to help get me out of my bonds, but see nothing of use. The only thing that would set me free is the keys currently in Dean's pant pocket and it would be nearly impossible to get them.

After another hour passes, Dean begins to nod off. When I hear a slight snore come from his mouth, the TV suddenly flickers. My eyes slide to the static image coming from the monitor and my eyes squint in suspicion. I look around for anything that could have caused the bizarre action and see nothing out of the ordinary. When I hear the click of my cuffs unlock, I look down and my eyes widen in surprise. How the hell did that happen? Did I do that?

_Whatever, doesn't matter. Now I'm home free_, I smile to myself. _All I have to do is get out of this damn room and get to Rebecca._ I rub my irritated wrist where the cuff was clamped to, the skin slightly red. I quietly rise from the bed, flinching when the mattress squeaks from the movement. My eyes rapidly shift to Dean and Sam and let out a sigh of relief as they keep snoring away. I quickly tip toe to the door and pull the handle open as gently as I can. Surprisingly the old door hinges made no noise of protest as I sneak through the doorway. I let out a silent prayer that Dean and Sam wouldn't notice I was gone until I had a good head start on them.

Luckily, I still had my car keys and quickly rush back to the diner where I left my car. Dean told me to leave it there until tomorrow morning, well wasn't he in for a surprise. I pick the keys out of my pocket and hop into the car. The engine roars with a start as I turn the key in the ignition. I place the gear into drive and screech away from the diner, pulling onto the road and driving to the outskirts of town. _Well, here goes nothing. I'm coming Rebecca._

* * *

**(Back at the motel room)**

Dean's head rolls to the side, trying to get comfortable in the awkward position he was sleeping in on the chair. He shifts his hand down to the armrest to pull himself to the right when he knocks down the remote control that was balancing on the top of it. The device hits the floor with a thud and the TV shuts on, startling him awake.

"Huh, what?" He rubs at his eyes, the light of the TV blinding him. He groans as he reaches for the remote on the floor to turn the monitor off. As soon as the TV goes black, he lets out a loud yawn and checks to see if Holly was still cuffed to the bed. When he sees the bed empty, he swiftly jumps up and runs to edge of the bed seeing the cuffs still attached to the post, but unlocked.

"Sam!" He shouts, going to his brother and shaking his shoulder roughly. "She's gone! Holly is gone! Well, isn't this fan-friggin'-tastic."

Sam's eyes pop open at the sound of his brother yelling. "Dean?" He asks groggily, his voice still raspy with sleep. "What's going on?"

"That-" He points to the empty bed beside him. "-is what's going on! How the hell did she get out? I still have the damn keys in my pocket!" He pulls them out for Sam to see.

"Are you sure she didn't just pick the lock?" Sam asks, rubbing his eyes and getting up from the bed.

"Hell no! I made those myself. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Sam observes the cuffs lying on the bed and picks it up with one hand. "Well, the metal is not even bent so I don't know how she could have got out of them. They look totally fine."

"They are completely unlockable without the key so unless she does have some super freak powers like Cas said then that's the only thing that can explain it... Unless…" Dean fades off, his face turning red with fury. "Cas!? You son of a bitch you better get down here, right now!"

The sound of wings rustle and soon Castiel appears. "Yes?"

"Would you like to explain your little magic act, huh?!" Dean questions loudly, pointing to the handcuffs. "Don't you dare lie to me."

"She was becoming a disturbance. This was the only way to ensure your safety." The angel states coolly. "I gave her what she wanted. Whatever happens to her is none of your concern now."

"Cas, she could get hurt! She could even get killed!" Sam yells at him. "I know you are trying to do what's best for us, but this was wrong and you know it." He glares, grabbing his lap top to shove inside his bag along with the rest of his clothes.

"You better hope we get there in time." Dean proclaims firmly, scowling at Cas before he throws the strap of his duffel bag on his shoulder and storms out of the room. "Sam, hurry up!"

* * *

By the time I pull up to Rebecca's house, the sun is barely beginning to rise. As I stare at the house, my blood boils in anger. It was the only place that I found peaceful and safe, a place I called my home and now it was tainted with dread and fear. I jump out my car and roughly slam the door shut. I go to the trunk to search for any kind of weapon that would be of use against a demon. Hell, anything that could even hurt a demon would be better than nothing. I see a crow bar and quickly grab it, sliding the tool under my coat. I shut the trunk before slowly walking towards the entrance.

I sneak a peek in the windows and see nothing in view besides furniture in the gloomy light. I place my hand on the door knob and turn the handle, not surprised to find it opening easily. As I step into the dark house, chills begin to run up my spine. I soundlessly close the door behind me and scan the room for any evidence of break in. The furniture seems to be intact and in the same place it usually is in. I can't help, but smile when I spot a frame of me and Rebecca during Christmas lying upon the fireplace. We are standing by our fully decorated Christmas tree with cheesy smiles adoring our faces and cookies in our hands. I could remember that day like it was yesterday. My very first Christmas, theoretically that is. The day when Rebecca officially became a part of my family.

As my mind preoccupies with old memories, a sound of glass shattering in the kitchen breaks me out of my trance. I quickly rush into the room and see a circle of fire flare up around the body of a person slumped on the floor as I enter. When I realize it's Rebecca, I quickly rush to her side, but get thrown forcefully across the room once I reach her. My back hits the cabinets harshly, knocking the wind out of my gut and the crowbar out of my coat. I look up when a man dressed in all black walks out of the shadows and into the light of the fire. His piercing black eyes contrast with the color of his pale skin.

"Hello Holly." He purrs, his tongue slipping out of his mouth like a serpent. "I'm glad you finally showed up. I was just about to start the fun without you."

"You got me where you want me. Now, a deal is a deal. You let her go!" My limbs struggle against the invisible hold he had on me.

"Hmmmm." He hums curiously. "You really don't know much about anything do you?" I stare at him confused and his lips grown into a grin. "Completely clueless indeed." He eyes Rebecca lying unconscious in the circle of fire. "I guess it's time for some storytelling, don't you think?" He flicks his wrist, sending her in midair and shocking her awake.

"Stop! Don't hurt her! Please." I beg him as I meet her now open and frightened eyes.

"H-Holly." She chokes.

"I said stop!" I bellow, my hands tightening into fists.

"Very well." He obliges, dropping her to the ground once more. I glare at him as she hits the ground hard and gasps for air. "So, you really don't know who you are, do you girl?" He raises a skinny eyebrow at me.

"People keep asking me that lately, but sadly no, I don't. Please enlighten me." I mock.

"Hmmm, a feisty one as well." He comments to himself. "The Fallen One." The word hisses out of his mouth like a curse.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" I angrily reply.

"Why don't you have _this_ pest tell you?" He nods to Rebecca in the circle of fire.

"Rebecca?" I turn to stare at her, my eyes wide with confusion.

"Holly. I'm so sorry. P-please forgive me. " She pleads, rising from the ground to stand. "M-my name is not Rebecca. My real name is Sariel. I'm an angel." I freeze in shock as she continues speaking.

"I was sent to Earth after the apocalypse to help strengthen the belief of God after a time of tragedy, to bring humanity back towards their faith." She explains. "What I didn't expect was to fall in love during my time here. Being on Earth made me feel things I have never felt before, things I didn't think were possible. A man named David was a prophet that helped me during my duties and we grew very fond of each other. When it came time to return to Heaven, I didn't want to leave him and my brothers and sisters smited my love out of spite. They said nothing so feeble or weak was worthy of my affection. So, I was casted down to Earth to live for eternity for my sin. It's been years since I've been home, but I can still hear the angels, hear them talking about something called the Fallen One."

"What are you talking about?" I whisper, my voice tight with emotion.

"You, Holly, are you are part of God himself. The one God has been trying to protect all this time."

"But why would he want to protect me? I'm- I'm just a girl?"

"No, Holly you are more than that. You were destined to be special." She states with a small smile. "The one sent by God to bring us all to peace."

"I don't understand. If the world was already saved, what does it have to do with me?"

"I wasn't sure at first, but there is uproar in the garrison. They speak of another evil power threatening to take over the Earth. One that is far greater than Lucifer himself. It seemed like a mere rumor, until the signs began to develop. Murders, abductions, the mass mutilations of cows. It all started the night you fell."

My mind flashes back to that terrible night in the woods and Sam telling me of the very same thing just hours ago. "...but can't I remember anything. If I fell, shouldn't I remember?"

"Any knowledge about God is too dangerous to have on Earth." She clarifies. "God erased your memories to keep you and the others safe. You are the only one who knows his true plan. However, you are the only one who can break the spell that he has casted over you. You have to figure out yourself how to remember."

"Why didn't you tell me this before!?" I scream at her, angry tears begin to prickle my eyes, but I force them back. "I thought I meant something to you!I thought you loved me!"

She looks away, flinching at my words that whipped through her. "When they took my David away from me, I was so angry and full of grief. I wanted nothing more than to have him back in my arms and called demons to revive him. They promised that if I found this so called Fallen One then they would bring him back. So, I made a deal." She glimpses up at me, her eyes shining with regret. "I know it was stupid and selfish, but Holly I was desperate. These feelings from being away from heaven for so long, were more powerful than I ever thought possible. They made me foolish and weak. So, I searched for you all over the world, trying to find the only way to bring my beloved back to me. When I heard of the meteor in Kansas, I knew it was too irregular to be of natural cause. With the garrison in total chaos during the time, I thought it was my best chance. I raced to the site, but only found the crater you left. I tried to follow you, but before I could take you myself, the Winchesters found you. I followed you and possessed this woman's body and when you arrived I knew it had to be you. The great power that came off of your very skin was even more proof that I was correct."

I stare at her in horror. The only person that was normal in my life had lied to me all this time. My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. "Well, aren't you quite the actor? Playing with my feelings!" I shout, the tears finally spilling down my face. "All those memories I had with you, thinking you were my family. They were all a lie!"

"No, Holly please listen to me." She begs, her eyes pleading. "When I took you into my home, I did have intentions to give you to the demons, but that was before I fell in love again, _with you_." She reaches towards me desperately, her hand only reaching as close to the edge of the fire that surrounded her. "I couldn't let them take you because of my selfishness. I deserve whatever comes to me, but you are our only hope now. You and the ones who stopped the first apocalypse." She eyes the demon watching us with interest. "They are scared of those boys, the Winchesters and the rebel angel, Castiel. You all are the only chance in saving the world now."

My head aches with the sudden turn in events. "Wait, wait. Just hold on a damn minute!" I shout, my aching eyes shutting closed. "I'm supposed to stop this bad guy and save the world, but can't remember a damn thing about it?" I open my eyes to gaze at her, my voice cracking in pitch. "How am I supposed to defeat them? _What am I_?!"

"You are the-" She begins to speak until a blade rips through her chest, cutting her off. It all happens so fast. The demon is suddenly behind Rebecca, pulling the long silver blade out of her body. The sleek blade covered in her blood.

I hear the sound of a blood curdling cry pierce the air as she slumps to the ground dead. "NO!"

"We can't let her give away the big secret now can we." He smirks, swiping his finger across the blade and bringing the bloodied finger to his mouth for a taste.

"You bastard!" I roar with anger, my vision turning red. "You will pay for what you've done!" I feel my blood pump strongly through my veins, feeling a power surge inside me that I have never felt before.

"You can't do nothing to me petty being. You can't even access your own powers. You are useless and God has wasted his time on you."

"You want to test that theory?!" I scream, the air around me growing hot. A force wraps around my body like a cloak and a burning white energy spreads to my fingertips. His cocky smile fades as he begins to notice the change in the air around him. His expression turns frightened when my hair begins to float around me, my feet lifting off the floor. I lift my hand towards him. A spark ignites in the very core of my body and explodes out of my palm, striking the demon head on. My face spreads into a grin as his cries of agony fill the room, only making me burn his skin off even slower to prolong his pain.

"STOP. PLEASE!" He begs, his body surrounded by a fierce blue flame. His face twisted in anguish. I smile on, ignoring his cries, until the front door busts open.

"Holly!" I hear Dean's distant cry as he rushes into the kitchen with Sam and Castiel. His eyes widen in disbelief as he sees me floating mid-air with blue fire shooting out of my palm. I turn to look at him and his face freezes in shock. I glimpse behind him and see Sam wearing the same horrified expression, while Castiel observes me with intensity.

"D-Dean...? Sam?" The sudden power abruptly fades, causing me to collapse to the floor. I hear shouting and feel hands on my body, but everything seems so fuzzy and far away. I smell the faint odor of charred flesh before my vision turns hazy and then black.


	4. The Name's Bobby Singer

Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long in getting this chapter posted! I was in summer school and am finally free at last! HOORAY! I'm so excited for you guys to read what's to come and thank you all for reading my story! 3 Please leave a review and tell me what you think! I would love some feedback! :) Also, I know this wayyy past do, but I would like to give a big thank you to watermelonsarerad and atypicaldayoffanfiction2 (my lovely cuzzie cuz). You both have been such a big help to my story and I can't thank you enough! Oh and read their stories because their pretty great! Okay, enjoy!

* * *

I fade in and out of consciousness. I can't tell night from day and it feels like I've been asleep for years.

All I want to do is stay locked up in the dark subconscious of my mind, where everything is quiet and peaceful. I didn't want to face the world, take on the responsibility that was thrust upon my shoulders. Everything could go to shit for all I cared. Nothing was worse than waking up and facing the pain.

_Holly. _I hear a voice say.

_Holly. _Leave me alone, I want to reply back, but I can't move my lips to form the words.

_Holly... _The voice fades away as I let the blackness pull me deeper into the abyss of my mind once more.

_It was a late December afternoon. The flames flickered in the fireplace, warming up the cold air inside the house. Snowflakes skidded off the windows, piling up on the ground looking powdery soft. I sipped my hot cocoa, holding the warm cup in my hands and breathed in the chocolaty goodness._

_I turned away from the winter wonderland view to look around the living room. _

"_Rebecca?" I asked when I eyed materials scattering the floor. "What is all this stuff for?" There was a circular frame and tinsel laid out on the ground, but the thing that caught my eye the most was a bundle of bright red berries surrounded by pointy dark green leaves._

"_Oh, this? I thought I already told you this morning." __She laughed, walking down the stairs with even more supplies. "__My mind must be playing tricks with me. Well, with Christmas right around the corner, I was thinking we could make reefs to decorate the house. I heard homemade reefs leave a lovely smell."_

"_Uh, I'm not very good with the whole arts and craft thing." My cheeks flushed a bright red. "I don't really have the memory of my preschool years to fall back on."  
_

"_Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll do fine!" She pulled me into her side for a hug after placing the rest of the supplies down next to the others. "Besides, it's all about the having fun and spreading the Christmas cheer, right?"_

"_Sure, let me go get my elf ears and toy tools." I teased. "Should I let all the other animals from outside come in and sing with us around the fire?" My eyes filled with humor._

"_You're going to be getting a lot of coal for Christmas with that attitude." She pushed me playfully. "Alright, let's get to work."  
_

_In the end, I actually got the hang of the whole home-crafting thing. My reef wasn't going to be featured in the next Home magazine that's for sure, but it was better than I thought it would be._

"_Well, won't you look at that?" Rebecca admired my work. "Looks beautiful."_

"_I wouldn't say that, but yeah, it's decent." I shrugged, picking up the red berries that caught my eye earlier, and mindlessly squeezing it between my fingers._

"_Sweetie, don't do that! Those darn things will stain your fingers and be such a pain to wash off." She chastised, but my fingers were already covered in the berry's juice._

"_Oops. Sorry Rebecca."  
_

"_It's alright dear. Lemme go get some solution to help get that off your hands." She stated as she strolled to the kitchen. _

"_Hey, Rebecca!?" I shouted, staring at the plant's remains on my fingers. "What kinda plant is this anyways?"_

"_Hollies!" She yelled back before coming into the room with her home remedy. "Here you go sweetie. Just let your fingers soak in there and it should come off in a couple minutes." _

"_So...where do these things come from?" I glimpsed up at her from the floor, still cross legged on the carpet, soaking my fingers in some funky smelling liquid. "I've never seen them before."  
_

"_Well, some grow deep in the forest here, but most come from subtropical and temperate regions." She began to explain. "There is actually a tale on how holly berries became significant to Christians, leading to it being used for Christmas today." I raised my eyebrows in interest. "At first, hollies were adorned on doors as a method of preventing persecution. However, it was truly used as a method of preventing unpredictable misfortune". Her voice took on a distant tone as she continued telling the legends of the little plant. "It has been said that the power of the holly is not limited to the problems that earthly creatures could inflict, but also demonic forces. The hanging of holly on the doors of homes was believed to prevent the entry of terrifying spirits who were likely to attack during the holy days." Her eyes then fixated on me. "Anyhow, as time went on, it started to become more conventional as a symbol of Christmas festivals and the original purpose of the holly became less recognized by Christians. Now, hollies are a thing of decoration and nothing more." She finished with a smile._

"_Wow. So, these little things pack a lot of punch to them then, don't they?" I lifted my hand from the soak bath and reached for another berry to pull it close to my eye. I tried to make sense of how people could once find something so small and delicate as powerful or meaningful. "It's fascinating."_

"_They sure are." Rebecca agreed with a smile, watching me examine the plant. "You know," She added, "You still don't have a name yet. Maybe we have finally found something to call you."_

"_Call me what?" My brows furrowed in confusion._

"_Holly, of course! It's a beautiful name. And believe it or not, I think it suits you quite well."  
_

"..._Holly?" I let the name roll off the tip of my tongue. _"_I love it." I rose to my feet to hug her gratefully. "Thank you, Rebecca. I-I don't know what to say." My face beamed with happiness. I finally had a name, something that I could call my own. I'm Holly. _

"_I love you." The words spilled from my mouth unexpectedly. I tensed with fear of her reaction, but relaxed as I felt her arms wrap tighter around me. _

_"I love you too, Holly."_

I suddenly snap awake, the vivid memory shattering into a million pieces.

"Rebecca!" I quickly sit up in bed, drenched in sweat. My eyes flitter around the room, searching for her.

"Hey, hey. Hold on there tiger!" Dean is suddenly by my side looking more exhausted than usual. He pushes me back down into the covers with a firm, but gentle hand. "You need to relax."

The room starts to spin from the blood running down from my head. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make the room still. "Ugh, my head." I groan. Once I'm sure I'm not going to toss my cookies, I finally open my eyes and see Dean standing over me looking worried. The room, I instantly notice, isn't familiar to the motel room from last night...or the day before...or whenever it was. I try to move my hands to wipe the sweat beading off my forehead, but they make no urge to move. I look to see my hands are tied to the bed with rope. _What the hell?_ I pull against my restraints, but they don't budge. "Dean, what's with the kidnapper act?" I try to snap at him, but my throat croaks instead from the lack of hydration. My temples and limbs throb with pain, like I've just been hit by a ten ton truck. I manage to glare at him, despite the excruciating ache in my skull.

"Hey, don't look at me. We just did what we thought was safe for you and well...all of us." He eyes me suspiciously.

"What are you talking about? Take these off of me, now." I demand.

"Holly, do you even remember what happened a week ago?"

"A week ago…?" I try to sit up in bed again, but the ropes only tighten around my wrists even more so, I give up.

"The demon you roasted? Rebecca? You floating in damn mid-air?" He hints. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

My heart clenches painfully at the mention of Rebecca. The woman who I looked up to, who I trusted, except she wasn't the person I thought she was, she was an angel, but Dean didn't know that. "Have you been drinking?" I ask skeptically.

"That's besides the point." He rolls his eyes. "Do you remember or not?" He asks again.

I try to recall the night, but pull a blank. The only thing that flashes to mind is the demon bastard stabbing a blade through Rebecca's chest. I feel my throat constrict with emotion at the memory, but I swallow down the lump in my throat. There was no time for crying now; more important things had to be faced.

"Everything after Rebecca's death is just a black and hazy fog. So...no, I can't. I can't remember." I state in frustration, irritated with my constant blackouts of memory.

His eyebrows rise in surprise. "You really don't remember a thing?" I shake my head, looking up at him as my heart races in anticipation. "Hol. Your eyes were white. Your hair and feet were...floating. You had blue fire shooting out of your hand for Christ's sake. I swear it was like seeing something out of a comic book." He crosses his arms across his chest. "Hence the tying you up." He points out.

"I had fire coming out of my hand?" My heart begins to pound as I feel the verge of a panic attack coming on. _What if Castiel was right? What if I was dangerous? To him? To everyone?  
_

"Hey." He sits down on the edge of the bed, placing his hands on my shoulders firmly, forcing me to look into his green eyes until I calmed. "Just take a breather, alright? You're too weak to be this riled up." He surprisingly sounds concerned until he adds, "And honestly, you look a little worse for wear."

"Well, isn't that something every girl loves to hear...or female mutant." I shake my head with a humorless smile. I breathe in deeply and blow out a noisy breath, reigning in my emotions. I look away from his intense gaze and examine the room again seeing beers overtake the desk in the far corner of the room and a magazine lying on top of the heap. "Where are we?" I question upon seeing picture frames of an unfamiliar middle-aged man and woman up on the walls. With the dust accumulating on most of the furniture, it seems that the room hasn't been cleaned in years.

"After what happened, Sam and I had to take you somewhere safe. This is the only place that came to mind." He states. "The owner's name is Bobby. He has been a friend of ours for a long time coming. He's a hunter like us."

"Mhm. Well...it looks like Bobby needs to dust up a bit in here. It's like dust bunny central." I cough for emphasis.

"Don't be a smart ass." He smirks. "You should be thankful we know the guy. He has every kind of warding sigil known to man drawn all over this house. That means no visits from any angels, monsters, or dick-headed demons. Basically, no one can track you down or even know your here."

"Remind me to thank him for that after I get untied." I pull at my restraints again, looking at him expectantly.

"No way sweetheart. Like I said, after what we saw there is no way we are letting you out of that bed until we know what we're working with here."

"Oh, come on! I don't even remember. For all you know that wasn't even me." I defend. "Besides, if I really wanted to hurt you and Sam, wouldn't I have done it by now?"

"Sorry Hol. You have to stay put." He rises from his spot on the bed and stretches, his back popping loudly in response.

"You should know leaving me tied up didn't go so well last time." I roll my eyes.

"Sam and Bobby are downstairs. I'll go tell them you're awake. Keep out of trouble until then." He states as he goes to open the door. "Oh, and by the way, if you try to run home free again, next time I won't be so gentle with the house arrest."

"Asshole." I grumble under my breathe.

"Right back at you, Hol." He hollers back before closing the door shut behind him.

As soon as I'm alone, the room is eerily silent, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I feel the sorrow threatening to creep up on me as I lay in bed. My mind races with images of the Rebecca. I struggle with keeping myself together until the tears begin to freely stream down my cheeks. The guilt of my last words to her ate at me. How I yelled at her. How I hated her with every fiber of my being because of her deal. But, how could I have done such a thing after all she sacrificed for me? She wasn't human, but she protected me and loved for all those months when I felt nothing, but alone. She was the only thing that was consistent in my life. Even though she was an angel, she was still chose to care for me, to be my mom. I still loved her, but now she was gone.

As soon as I hear the stomping of boots coming up the stairs, my crying immediately ceases. I try to quickly wipe the tear trails on my face with the sleeve of my shoulder before the door gently pushes open. When I finally see who comes in, I smile despite my red-rimmed eyes, glad to see the younger Winchester entering the room. "Hi, Sam."

"Holly, are you alright?" He quickly rushes to my side. His hazel eyes scan my face, probably noticing my puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Well, if you consider me being in a mini-coma for a solid seven days straight alright, then I'm just peachy." I tease lightly, causing him to crack a smile.

"Glad to have you back on planet Earth."

"Can't say I'm glad to be back." My mood quickly turns sour.

"Holly…" His eyes shine with worry. "Everything is going to be fine. We will figure this out, alright? One step at a time."

"Is it okay if I interrupt?" An older voice asks before entering the room.

"Yeah, come on in Bobby." Sam waves him in.

I look up to see a man with beard and protruding belly step into the room with a well-past worn baseball cap placed atop his head. I see Dean following close behind him with a tray of food and water. "Dean, you shouldn't have." I mock as he walks the tray over towards me.

"Oh, shut it." He scoffs, placing the tray on the bedside dresser next to me.

My gaze returns to the stranger in the room, not knowing what to expect.

"Hi there, I'm Bobby. Bobby Singer. It's great to finally meet cha." He walks towards me to shake my hand, but halts in place. "Um, boys? A little harsh, ya think?" He points at my tied up hands.

"Hi." I greet shyly as Sam walks over to untie the ropes. "Holly, and thanks for that. My arm was starting to fall asleep." I say timidly, rubbing my sore wrists before shaking his hand.

"You're welcome." He replies. "You know you got alotta nerve boys. It's not every day you hear stories like hers and I wish you would have told me about it sooner," he chastises them, "but I guess it's my fault for not expecting that by now, you know them. Bunch of idjits." He states with a slight drawl, causing me to laugh.

"Hey! It's not like we didn't do jack squat. She's still alive, isn't she?" Dean defends.

"By the looks of it, this poor girl needs someone to be a decent human being to her. She ain't so bad as you said she was." He raises an eyebrow at him.

"Mhm...and what did Dean tell you about me, exactly?" I question.

"Nothing, other than you being a pain in my rear." Dean interjects, picking up the magazine lying next to him and flipping through it indifferently.

Before I can respond to his comment Bobby butts in, "Are they always like that?" He asks Sam as he juts his thumb at Dean and me.

"So far, yeah." Sam shrugs. "I think it's them trying to bond, but really I don't know myself."

Bobby looks between me and Dean once more before announcing, "Okay, enough jokin' around, we got things to discuss." He pulls a chair out to sit closer by my bedside. "So...Holly." He begins. "I would like to hear your side of the story instead of relyin' on these chuckle heads."

"I'm sure they told you about the whole forest fiasco already so..."

"What _forest_ thing you talkin' about?"

"Oh...I guess that didn't get part didn't get passed along then?"

"'fraid not." He huffs.

"Bobby." Sam speaks up, looking a bit sheepish. "We weren't even really sure what to make of it ourselves. We didn't want you to worry-"

"Well, it's pretty damn important now boy." He retorts before turning his attention back to me. "Go on ahead, Holly."

I squirm under his stare as I recall the very night I fell to Earth. Every detail still crystal clear down to the icy cold brush of the wind to the damp musk of the forest soil. It was like I was reliving it all over again. "Next thing I know, I'm in the hands of these guys." I finish, looking to Sam and Dean. "If it wasn't for them, I don't know if I would even be here right now."

"Well, I'm glad they did something right." Bobby looks at me in empathy. "You know, this is information would've been real useful _before_ you told me a pack of demons were on her hide." He chastises Sam and Dean, his disappointment sounding much like a father's . "You keep messin' with this kind of stuff and now you guys are knee deep in it."

"Like Sammy said Bobby, we didn't want to bother you if it turned out to be nothin'." Dean clarifies. "We regret that now."

"So...we got a lot of things to work with here." Bobby lifts his hat up to scratch at the receding hairline on his forehead and blows out an uneasy breathe. "Looks like it's time to hit the books." I hear a loud groan emanate from Dean as Bobby gets up from his chair. "You want to stay here and eat that, or come down with us?" He asks me.

Being alone was the last thing I wanted to do. The hallow hole in my chest was just waiting to rip me apart once more. "Um, no, I'm actually not hungry. I'll just tag along with you guys. I need to start using my legs before they start turning to jelly on me, anyways." I try to out of bed and almost fall over until Bobby catches me.

"Yeah, maybe you should do that." He chuckles as he helps me stand up straight. "If you want, we also got a shower across the hall so you can clean up. God knows a shower can do wonders."

"Actually, that sounds amazing right about now. Thank you." I smile at him as I try to use his arms as stabilizers.

"Sam, you show the girl where the towels are and get some of Karen's clothes for her in my room." He orders the younger brother. Sam nods in agreement and takes me from Bobby to walk to his room, while Bobby joins Dean downstairs.

"Sam? Where's Cas?" I ask after the silent trek to the old man's room.

"Cas? Why do ask? I mean, you guys aren't on the best of terms…"

"I know it's just… I remember seeing you, Dean, and Cas before I kinda…blacked out..." I confess quietly for haven't told Dean about remembering this.

"Oh?" He perches me on the edge of Bobby's bed to retrieve my clothes. "Um, well, to be honest, I don't actually know where he is." He replies awkwardly, using one hand to brush his hair out of his eyes, while pulling open the clothing drawer with the other. "Once we got you out of there, he kinda went Hudini on us. He barely said a word when Dean and I suggested taking you to Bobby's house."

"So, he didn't have anything to say? No 'I told you so' or 'Leave her to rot here'?" I mock the angel's tone.

"No, he actually agreed with us before zapping to who-knows-where." He pulls out a plaid blouse and a pair of jeans.

"Mhm. Well, that's a little strange isn't it?" I examine Sam's face, trying to decipher the emotion displayed there. "Even for him?"

"I'll say, but lets just look at it as a step forward for the two of you." He smirks as he turns around, handing me my clothes.

"Hopefully I can take your word on that." He helps me up from the bed once more to walk out of the room and back into the hallway.

I let out a low whistle, noticing my surroundings for the first time. "Bobby really knows how to decorate. This place is huge. I feel like I'm at the grand Budapest Hotel." I stare down the hall bug-eyed.

"Yeah, Bobby fixed up the place real good after a couple years. Don't tell him I said this, but it used to be as much as a dump as the junkyard outside." He snickers as we approach what looks like the on suite to a bathroom.

"Well, no matter what taste he has in homes, he's an a-okay guy in my book." I declare. "I noticed he treats you like family, almost like a father and I appreciate him doing that. It's not always easy to be without parents, but it's always nice to know that someone is there to protect you. Be there for you no matter what." I choke up a bit, realizing the similarities between him and Rebecca.

"Holly, you know we can talk about Rebecca...if you want..." He takes the clothes from my hands, placing them on top of the toilet seat lid so he can face me. "I know it's none my business, but I just want you to know we understand and we're here for you. The past couple have days have been tough, especially on you, and I just hope you trust us enough to make you feel as comfortable as possible. I mean, you're practically one of us now." He proclaims.

I tear up at his declaration and pull him in for a hug. "Thanks Sam." I give him one last squeeze before finally letting him go. "I'll take you up on that offer one day." I reply with a watery smile.

"No problem." He smiles back. "Uh, I'll leave you to get ready. If you need any of us just holler. We'll be right downstairs." He states before turning around and walking out the door, pulling it shut behind him.

I sigh loudly before looking into the mirror, staring at the broken girl looking back at me. My long, light brown hair looks brittle and lifeless, my pale grey eyes gloomy and dull. A light sheen of sweat still covers the top of my forehead. "Wow, I do look like shit." I comment out loud, noticing how pale my usually olive skin looks. Not to mention, my work attire looked a bit grimy from hitting day seven of use.

I glance away from the mirror and towards the shower, seeing a clean towel hanging on the rack besides it. I walk to the tub and reach for the spout, turning the water on to a steaming temperature that would ease the knots in my sore limbs. I quickly slip off my dirty work clothes and sneakers before stepping into the stream of warm water. I moan in contentment as the water hits my body, the rhythmic pressure massaging my aching muscles.

I go through the usual routine of soaping, shampooing, and rinsing. I hum to myself as I repeat the same cycle, but with conditioner. I keep my mind away from the thought of Rebecca or any Fallen One related issues. It was nice to enjoy some quiet time to myself without having anything clouding my thoughts.

As soon as I finish, I shut the water off and climb out of the tub, grabbing a towel to dry off my body. I grab the clothes off the toilet seat and quickly slip on the blouse and jeans Sam gave to me, noticing how easily they fitted. A week of not eating a single bite of food made me look a little gaunt. "I really need a cheeseburger." I say aloud, not liking the thinner figure I was sporting, but the actual thought of food made me feel queasy, which was a first. Since the house is full of men, I guessed a hair brush wouldn't be available and used my fingers to comb through my damp hair a few times before tying it up into a bun.

When I look decent, I open the door and follow the way to a group of stairs leading down to the first level. The first floor's decor is almost exactly the same as the rest of the place with the elaborate red color scheme. I stroll to a pair of sliding doors as I hear voices radiating from behind it. I approach the guys, seeing them before they even see me. They were all bent over these huge dusty books, drinking coffee.

"Well, I got absolutely nothing. Are you sure these are the only books you have Bobby?" Dean closes his book shut, causing a little bit of dust to fly off the cover.

"Yeah, these are the only ones I could find on angels, like I said, no one knew they actually existed at the time. Well, until Cas and all the other ones made a surprise visit raising your ass out of hell a couple years back. The only thing we got are bibles and a few other volumes, but that's it."

_Raised from hell?_ _Dean went to hell?_ "No wonder he's such a dick. " I grumble to myself. Yet, I know he could've turned out a lot worse. But really? Just the thought of hell made me shudder in fear. Demons were enough already, but hell? Now that was a whole new ball game. There were a lot more questions the Winchesters needed to answer, but I decide to listen in more before making my entrance.

"Awesome." Dean pushes the book away from him. "So, we have about zilch in what the hell Holly might be. That's just great."

"Dean, cut out the pissy mood. It's not helping anyone." Sam snaps, looking irritated himself.

That's the time when I awkwardly decide to enter the room. "Um, do you guys need any help?" They all jump in surprise at the sound of my voice.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Dean speaks up first, pulling another book to him and flipping open the top cover. "We got it from here. You should probably get some more shut-eye, while we're at it."

"I have to agree with Dean on this one. You need more rest." Bobby adds and Sam nod in return.

"I don't think I could. I need to start doing something before I lose my mind."

"Actually, there is one thing you can do...but you're not going to like it." Dean glances up at me with apprehensive eyes.

"And that would be...?"

"First, lemme just state the facts. One, we have demons tracking you down left and right. Two, they know how you look. So, in order to keep you hidden better we're gonna need you to make a couple changes in..." He falters off as my eyes narrow.

"You're not talking about a damn makeover, are you?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm just trying to be rational here and to further my case, Sam and Bobby agree with me too." He points out.

"Sam? Bobby? Do I really have to?" I whine. "What is a little hair dye and mani-pedi going to do? It's not like I'm going to get face replacement surgery."

"Yeah, but still, changin' how you look a bit shouldn't be such a bad thing either." Bobby shrugs.

"I know I'm being difficult..." I begin to say before Dean interrupts me with a cough.

"As I was saying," I roll my eyes at him. ", wouldn't the sight of me being with the two Winchester boys already paint a target on my back? I mean come on. I'm not dumb. I saw how those demons wanted to rip you apart Dean. I'm not so sure I'm being unreasonable here."

"She does have a point." Sam concedes, thank god. "It's not like we aren't on demons radars as much as the next hunter, but we do have some bad beef with Lucifer's followers and we still have Crowley to look after. Who knows what he's up to?"

Bobby and Dean open their mouth to object, but nothing comes out.

"See! Even Sam catches my drift."

"You're doin' it. Whether you like it or not." Dean chides. "If anything to help make things a little easier, this would be it." He crosses his arms stubbornly. "So, are you going to come with me or am I going to have to use the hand cuffs again?"

I groan loudly in defeat before complying. "Fine, but _I_ get to choose what I want and you shut your trap about it. Deal?"

"Deal." He smirks, closing his book shut and quickly grabbing his car keys. "Have fun with the research fellas!" He hollers before pushing me out the door.


	5. True Identity

Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm so so so so SO sorry about the long-waited update. School has been hectic and I've been typing as much as I could and whenever I had the inspiration to do so. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I thank you all for being so patient with me and hope that the next chapter won't take as long for me to get done! I will try to divide my time evenly with school and writing as much as I can. Once again thanks ya'll! You are some lovely followers and favoriters! :)

* * *

"Hol, hurry up in there will ya? We don't got all day!" Dean yells from outside the bathroom. The whirr of hairdryers and chatter of people buzz on the other side of the door.

"Just a minute!" I shout back as the clunking of his boots fade away.

I sigh as I look at myself in the mirror with the tacky decor lighting up the room in a dim setting. I stare at my short hair resting right below my collarbone, missing the long locks that use to fall down my back. The pieces are cut to frame around my face, appealing my best features and the new black color complimenting my grey eyes.

I, for once, feel beautiful ˗ a sharp contrast to my usual "whatever" sentimentality towards my appearance. Who knew a different haircut and some hair dye could change how I looked entirely?

Ever since the I woke up in the woods, I always tried my best to be like everyone else. To forget that dreadful night and live an ordinary life. As I learned to blend into the background, I became one to never take risks. It displayed through my choices of career and clothing, but it was something I was comfortable with. With this "new" me, I'm not so sure if I can grow accustomed to the change, but I guess that if I had to go through with the whole process, I might as well make it worthwhile.

I fuss with my hair, pushing my shorter bangs this way and that before taking a step away from the mirror. I blow out an uneasy breath and brace myself for Dean's reaction. If he was going to be a dick about this then there was no way in hell I would give him the satisfaction of seeing me upset by it.

I slowly walk out of the bathroom and into the busy salon. Dean is sitting away from the crowd flipping through some car magazine that must have been put there for men in his situation. As I walk to him, I notice many of the women in the joint have their eyes on him in interest.

Sometimes when he wasn't being a jackass, I couldn't help, but stare either. Yet, they didn't know Dean like I did. A total dick wrapped up in ego for certain, but I knew what he was really hiding behind that charming exterior. It was a broken man dying to get out.

As soon as I close the distance between us, I clear my throat loudly to announce my presence. Once he feels my stare, he finally looks up to see me.

"Holly?" He stares at me quizzically as I nod my head. "Huh." His hands slightly lowering the magazine he was browsing into his lap.

"What?" I ask, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I dunno, it's just-" he takes a brief pause to gather his words, "you look like you could be related to one of those dick-headed angels...but to be honest with you, I liked the brunette better." He quickly shrugs and glances back down at his magazine again.

I roll my eyes at him despite his backhanded compliment at comparing me to a celestial being. "Whatever. As long as I look different we're in the clear, right?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Actually…"

"What now?" I complain, tapping my foot impatiently on the tile floor.

"Well, during your week long siesta, Sam and I scoped the area around your apartment and the place is crawling with demons." He explains, while continuing to flip through the glossy covered pages. "And going all code red for a wardrobe malfunction wasn't in question so, you're going to need some new gear. And also, because what you're wearing right now is just plain wrong." He stares at my outfit with judgmental eyes as to emphasize his point. "If you are with us, you got to dress like us." He smirks, slapping down his magazine on the table.

"Oh, come on!" I whine as I follow him towards the exit.

"It's all part of maintaining an image. Trust me." He quips, starting up the Impala and driving to the nearest clothing store.

* * *

"Now, that's more like it!" Dean eyes my new attire in the mirror appreciatively, obviously satisfied with his work.

I stare at my reflection. My body adorning a flattering pair of skinny jeans, a black V-neck shirt, a nice burgundy colored leather jacket, and a pair of black combat boots to finish the look off.

"Am I finally a Winchester yet?" I comment sarcastically, but appreciate how the ensemble complimented my new hair.

"You got hunter written all over you, sweet heart. Welcome to the business." He places an arm around my shoulder proudly.

"I feel like you're enjoying this whole makeover thing a lot _more_ than me." I lightly tease, watching him from the view of the mirror.

"Bite me." He responds, slipping his arm off my shoulders. "Anything is better than staying locked up at Bobby's with my nose in books all day. That was always more of Sammy's kind of thing. Me, I'm more of a go-getter." He proclaims with a wink. He grabs the hunting-approved clothes and strolls towards the cashier.

"Not that I'm trying to pry or anything, but how in the hell are you going to pay for all of that?" I ask as he pulls out his wallet. "I know hunting probably isn't the best way to receive a well-earned income…"

"Let's just say Sammy and I take what we can to get by." He smirks arrogantly, flashing the six different credit cards embedded in his wallet.

"Dean! That is fraud!" I shout loudly, catching a few bystander's attention. My face turns bright red from my outburst and I wave them off before speaking much quieter. "You know you can go to jail for that you jackass!"

"Do you want us to get arrested?" He pulls me aside and ignores all the stares that are still on us. "Look, Sam and I don't ask for anything from the people we help, but we take what we need. We can't keep saving them if we got no means of living." He explains, his voice low and collected. "Besides, we only take from those who can afford it so, chill." He glares at me shortly before walking the rest of the way to the cashier.

I feel guilt rush through me as I watch him pay. Dean flirts up the cashier, his face completely masked of the anger I saw a few moments ago cracking through the surface. Any trace of emotion completely hidden.

I practically called him a criminal when he hardly deserved it. What right did I have to judge when he and Sam have done nothing, but help me since the very beginning? They actually deserved more than a couple sleazy motels to stay in for their troubles.

Dean storms past me once the clothes are paid for, not waiting for me at the door. He jumps in the car and revs the engine once I make it outside, but thankfully makes no move to leave me behind. I slowly walk to the passenger side and take a shy pause before entering. As soon as my door closes shut, Dean reverses and high-tails out of the parking lot, barely missing an unsuspecting car pulling out of their own spot.

"Dean..." I sigh, seeing his hands slightly clench the steering wheel tighter. "Look, I'm sorry for calling you out back there. I was out of line. It was wrong and stupid. You didn't deserve that. I, of all people, should know." My eyes stray on the scenery passing by us as the silence lengthens.

"No." He finally speaks. "I shouldn't expect you to know how my life has been ever since I was a kid. It's not fair for me to get all pissed off about something you don't really know much about." He states, his eyes fastening on the road ahead of him. "When my dad was gone on hunts, I was left to take care of Sam. We were only a couple of kids." He begins. "We didn't really have him around to behave otherwise so, I became more of a parent to Sammy than my dad ever was. I wasn't the best kid to look up to. I stole. I left him on his own sometimes to go hang out at some diner or nearby arcade. I was selfish, but hell, what kid isn't?" He claims mockingly. "Most of the time we had to scavenge for food, but stealing was just easier. We practically grew up on junk food and sketchy motels. It wasn't the best childhood, but I'm not mad about how we turned out."

"You know, the both of you could have easily grown up to be the next Bonnie and Clyde duo, but didn't. Sam grew up to be a great guy. I think you're giving yourself less credit than you're giving." I glance at him for a brief moment before looking outside the window once more. "Really Dean, you and Sam are much better than you think. Hell, better than most people I've met. Especially, since you have to deal with me. Lost girl and all." I nudge his arm playfully.

"Go on." He replies, his lips gracing a smirk as I lightly punch his arm. "You know…I'm hell of a lot more curious about who you'd think would make a better Bonnie - me or Sam?"

"Good question." I hum slyly. "I'll get back to you on that."

The car is quiet for a while as Dean continues driving. It's almost peaceful as we zoom down the highway until the blaring of his phone interrupts the blissful silence. He quickly slips his phone out of his pocket and accepts the call without swerving the car an inch off the road. "Hey, what's up?" He answers. "Just finished making the new and improved Holly." He throws a mocking side glance in my direction and I stick my tongue out at him in return. I hear a slight buzz of a voice on the other end of the phone and see Dean's face grimace. "Oh, shut up. I know what I was doing." He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is there any other reason you are calling me other than to annoy the hell out of me?" He grumbles as the voice buzzes again. "Alright, got it. See you in ten." He replies before pulling the phone away from his ear and sliding it back into his front jean pocket.

"Was that Sam?" I question as he reaches towards the radio dial and tunes in to an old rock station.

"Yeah. Long story short, Castiel is back from cloudy paradise and needs to speak to all of us ASAP."

"Well, we better get going then before Mr. Tax Collector busts a vein." I insist, reaching for the dial to turn the volume down to a less painful setting.

"Hey, no touching the dial." He orders. "Driver picks the music, capiche?"

"It doesn't have to be rock-concert loud in here. I still need to use these you know." I deliberately plug my fingers into my ears to protect my pounding ear drums from being overworked.

"This is child's play compared to how loud I usually like it. So, get used to it. Sammy did." He sneers as he accelerates on the gas.

When we finally pull up to the house, we see Sam, Bobby, and Castiel outside in a heated argument with one another. Dean swiftly brings the car to a halt and we both jump out to stop the dispute from turning into anything more serious.

"Hey, hey!" Dean runs up to them. "Cut it out!" He yells, pushing them apart. "What the hell is going on?"

I freeze in my tracks as the angel glares at me with cold eyes. "Her."

"This again? Cas, we know she isn't your BFF, but you don't need to get your holy panties in a twist about it." Dean sighs. "Give it a rest man. She's sticking with us because she needs help. You of all people should know that is kinda what we do."

"You didn't tell them didn't you?" Castiel ignores Dean completely, his voice fierce as he glowers at me. "About what the demon and Rebecca told you?"

My heart races at the angel's menacing tone, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Guess the cat was out of the bag. "I-I didn't think it was important. I'm not about to drag anyone else into my mess, I'll deal with it on my own." I stutter out pathetically.

"But you _have_ dragged them into your mess. Now, we have to deal with it." He fumes, his blue irises as sharp as ice. "She hasn't told you about what happened before we came to save her, has she?" He turns to the others as they watch us in confusion. Sam, Dean, and Bobby glance at me questioningly as I give Castiel the dirtiest look I could muster. I wanted to do this on my time, but here comes Mr. Hot-Headed-Angel-of-the-Lord ruining all of that.

"Holly, what in the holy hell is he yabberin' about?" Bobby asks.

I take a breathe to gain my bearings before staring at each of them individually . My gaze finishes on Dean and the look of mistrust on his face only makes me feel worse.

"Guys look." I close my eyes, shaking my head incredulously. "I know that keeping things from you is far from helping the situation – as we all know – but what more do you want me to say?" I plead. "Rebecca told me that I'm some key to ending the second apocalypse and not soon afterward a blade went through her chest. According to the demons, what she knew about me was the very reason she _died_. Can you see why I would be unwilling to share when it got a person I loved killed right in front of me? I can't even tap into my memories because the Big Man himself didn't want anyone else to know what I know. I'm practically some freak from the holy vortex with no instruction manual. There's nothing that I could tell you that would even be useful to begin with."

I see Cas take an aggressive step towards me until Sam interrupts his advance by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Cas…wait. I got this." He reassures him and Castiel instantly backs off. "Holly, we _need_ to know what you're going through." He slowly walks towards me, his face empathetic. "We can't help if you keep things like this locked up."

"But I didn't even want any of this!" I cry frantically, my emotions getting the best of me. "I get that I didn't start out so normal, but I finally had a life. My job at the diner, my small apartment, and my crappy car isn't the typical dream for most people my age, but it was _mine_." I bubble with hysteria. "That's all I wanted and now I have to save the world? I can't save the world. I can't be right person for the job! I don't even know who I really am yet in all of this and they expect me to just be the savior of the planet!?" I huff in frustration. "And what if you guys get hurt because of me? I-I would never forgive myself..."

"Holly, this isn't just about us anymore. This is something bigger." Dean speaks up, his voice coarse. "If there is supposed to be another damn apocalypse then that means everyone on this planet, _right now_, will die unless we fix it. Look, I know how you feel, seriously I do. I was in the same boat a few years ago, almost down to the tea. And it sucked, but we need to finally end this. Maybe the world will stop trying to destroy itself for a while after we gank the son of the bitch whose starting things up again."

"They're right Holly." Bobby adds. "We have to stop all these damn secrets. They aren't helping anyone. They're only causin' more trouble."

I stare at them in defeat, the stress weighing down on my shoulders. "But how? How can _we_ be the only ones to stop it?"

"Well, that's where I step in." Castiel states coolly, his demeanor less intense than it was moments ago. "I've decided to help you after all."

"And why would you do that?" I roll my eyes. "To become a new addition to Charlie's Angels? You never wanted to help me before. Why now?"

"I don't know what that reference means exactly" he huffs, "but when I was in the garrison I have found out vital information. I believe it will give us an advantage." He pledges. "It is the reason why I came here most significantly. You aren't just a part of God Holly…" He starts, staring at me attentively. "You are one of the trinity. The thing that gives all the humans in this world: life and purpose. You are the Holy Spirit."

* * *

Author's Endnote: Whew, so I had trouble trying to make it as dramatic as I can for you, but I think the big reveal is enough to stun people. I hope I surprised you guys! I've been thinking about this concept for a long while and I'm so happy that I'm finally making it come to life! Please leave a review so, I can see what you guys think! I would love feedback! :) Happy Memorial day for all you Americans and I hope the rest of you from other countries have a fantastic day! :)


	6. The Whole Truth

_I am the Holy Spirit._

Suddenly all the pieces connect in my mind like a ghastly puzzle.

"…_hollies were adorned on doors as a method of preventing persecution. However, it was truly used as a method of **preventing unpredictable misfortune**._ _It has been said that the power of the holly is not limited to the problems that earthly creatures could inflict, but also **demonic forces**."_

I can hear Rebecca's voice speak from a distant memory.

She wasn't just telling me a Christian parable about hollies. She was trying to clue me in to who I was. I was the one that was meant to prevent demons and otherworldly forces from causing torment on Earth. She named me after the very thing I was symbolized for.

I smack my forehead with the heel of my hand in disbelief. "Rebecca, you are a damn piece of work."

"Rebecca has something to do with this?" Sam squints his eyes at me. "Did she…know?"

"In a way, yes. I just didn't know she knew at the time…and uh, that also reminds me. I have a few more things to confess." I reply sheepishly. "Look guys," I heave a sigh, "Rebecca told me a lot about myself before she died. A last confession if you will." I meet their gaze, trying to keep my chin up high. "And knowing that she lied to me in the whole time we spent together like I was some mindless fool, hurt, you know? But then again, I'm pretty much doing the exact same thing to all of you." I shake my head slightly before standing up a little straighter. "Now, I understand her reasons for putting me through all of it." I realized that Sam and Dean are the closest thing I have to a family now that she was gone. They are all I had left and I didn't want to lose them either, like Rebecca didn't want to lose me. "She thought she was protecting me like I think I'm protecting you. But none of this is my choice to make. The only way we will ever work together is if we trust each other. You deserve the whole truth before going through with any of this. So, here it goes." I confess blowing out a breath I didn't know I was holding in until now. "Rebecca wasn't human."

"What was she then?" Bobby questions.

"She was an angel." Castiel answers for me. Irritation is evident in his tone of voice and face. Cas was never one to be patient. "Her name was Sariel. She was supposed to bring the humans back towards their faith in God after the first apocalypse" He explains, the rush of words escaping his mouth easier than you would've handled. "She was dismissed from the garrison because of her failure in completing her mission as she fell in love with a human. He was one of the prophets she was working with at the time." He sighs heavily as he continues on, his head slightly shaking in disapproval. "She was deemed disloyal because of her corrupt feelings for the human. So, she was casted down to Earth and the prophet smited in return."

"Yeah." I shrug, "What he said." I had to admit, Cas had a better way of summarizing traumatic experiences than I was.

"Huh, a couple of dicks-with-wings killed her lover boy because they were pissed she found Earth better than their alleluia-loving crowd. What's new?" Dean rolls his eyes scornfully.

"So, Sariel took the _real_ Rebecca's body as a vessel? Why?" Sam inquiries. "Isn't that a little strange to choose a fuzz as a meat suit?"

"Once Rebec-Sariel was banished from heaven, she seeked revenge on the ones who betrayed her." My tongue trips over speaking the unfamiliar name. I didn't want to think of Rebecca's real title because it made her a celestial soldier of Heaven, not the compassionate woman that grew to be my mother. It showed that my entire life was devoted to someone I hardly knew anything about. "She heard the talk about the Fallen One and found that demons were searching for me. She rebelled by making a deal with them. To find and retrieve the Fallen One, in order to bring her love back from the dead in reward. She took the nearest body she could find in order to keep me in sight. Besides, an officer compared to a stranger is no competition. She obviously used the badge in her favor."

"Damn." Bobby whistles. "So, she was playin' you the whole time then?"

"In the beginning, she was." I declare with a tight voice. However, despite the anger I used to feel, there was only longing for the woman. "But then something changed. While we lived together, she grew to care for me as a mother would a daughter. She helped me build up my own life before I left her. She must've known I could only be safe if I wasn't near her anymore. She fell in love with me…and she let me go. She gave up the man she loved for me."

"Now, I get it." Dean claps his hands together, breaking me out of my moment of reverie. "That's why those demons were after you. Why they attacked you at the diner that night, right? Since she bailed on their deal, they tried to get a piss poor of a delivery group to do the job."

"Seems about right." I affirm.

"But who were they going to bring you to?" Bobby asks. His fingers scratch at the course hairs of his beard. "That's the main question here."

"As far as the intel in heaven goes, we are still working on it." Castiel reports.

Dean scoffs, his green eyes harsh with accusation. "We don't know who or what we're working with? Come on Cas!"

"I'm sorry Dean. No one knew a second apocalypse was even possible without being caused by Lucifer himself. Yet, we know now that the apocalypse can't be prevented. Not like the last time. There will just be another cause for it. We must beat this new source of evil, permanently."

"Are we even sure that this _isn't _Lucifer?" Sam asks, his eyes quizzical. "Maybe he found a way to get out of the cage?"

"We are sure Sam. I know where my brother is and he is still located in the cage."

"So, if it's not...Lucifer..." I shudder at the thought. "Then, who could it be?"

"That is what we are trying to figure out, aren't we?" Cas bitterly replies, irritation crossing his features.

"I'm just saying, you guys have faced Judgement Day before. There has to be a pattern somewhere. You guys aren't exactly _hellfire friendly_. There could be a multitude of suspects' right under your noses."

Dean nods his head in agreement. "I think you're onto somethin'. Sammy, do you still have that map?" He turns towards his brother. "Like the one that marks all the stranger-than-usual crap that's been happening lately?"

"Yeah. I left it in my bag." Sam claims. "I was gonna let Bobby take a look at it."

"Good, we're gonna need some extra eyes." Dean states before walking up towards the house and we soon follow after him. We all trail inside except Castiel, who stays glued by the door's threshold looking uncomfortable.

"Um, you coming?" I stop in my tracks to glance at his feet pointedly. "Or are your feet not functioning?" His eyes squint at me as I cock my eyebrow. "Ohhh…right. Bobby has the house warded against angels." I chuckle lightly at his exasperated glare. "A warrior of God and a tiny spell keeps you grounded?"

"It's not a _spell_." He scoffs as I try to hold in a laugh at his offended tone. "It's a powerful sigil that bans any angelic being with my kind of power to be forbidden from entering a sanctuary that I has not-"

"I was just kidding." I smirk. "Loosen up. I'll go get one of the guys to let you in." I reassure him before going to retrieve help, but stop mid-stride, wanting to get something off my chest first. "Castiel, I know we may not be the best of pals, but I'm glad you're here." I turn my head to look at him over my shoulder. "I know you didn't do this for any of my benefit, but I still appreciate what you're doing. So, thanks." I give him a small smile before walking away. Once I reach the living area, Sam, Dean, and Bobby bent over a table, surrounding a map that has been sprawled over a huge cherry wood desk.

"Here, here, and here." Sam's fingers skim the red dots splayed over certain regions on the map. "We've been in all these places before. It's just like the last time. The omens and murders are in the same spots where we had cases."

"Well, it seems to start at random cities then circulates around this town, Alliance." Bobby points out, jabbing his finger into the left corner of Nebraska. "That might be you're best bet at finding something, but you might as well check out the other places on the way there boys...and girl." He tacks on, meeting my gaze.

"Alright, guess we got ourselves a case. Let's start packing up." Dean straightens from his bent position. "We'll set off tomorrow at day break." He states grabbing the map and rolling it up, handing it back to Sam. "The faster we finish this, the sooner it's over."

"Since you all have a big trip ahead of ya, might as well eat a home cooked meal while you can." Bobby announces, walking towards the way of the kitchen. "You guys want some burgers?"

Dean's eyes light up instantly. "That sounds awesome. Thanks Bobby."

"Don't mention it kid."

"We should get all our bags in the car to save us the hassle tomorrow morning." Sam advises, grabbing his duffel bag that was thrown onto the couch. "Oh, Dean, I need the keys." He turns towards him, palm out after slipping his strap onto his shoulder.

"Yeah." Dean responds, digging his hand into his pocket until he felt what he was searching for. "Get my bag while you're at it and this time don't lock the keys in the car dude." He eyes his younger brother sternly, throwing the keys to him, which he catches easily.

"Shut up. That was one time." Sam rolls his eyes, grabbing his brother's bag, before leaving.

"Oh, Sam!" I shout for him, almost forgetting the angel waiting outside. "Cas needs a little help getting into the house!"

"Got it!" He hollers back before slamming the front door shut.

"So…" Dean speaks once silence fills the space.

"So..."

"How you feelin'?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you." He quirks an eyebrow. "What? I'm not allowed to ask?"

"No, no. It's just-" I shake my head, blowing out an uneasy breath "I don't know." I scrape the bottom of my shoe against the carpet, avoiding his stare. "Out of everything that has happened, I just feel tired, you know?" I shrug. "I just want to be secure for once. To be sure of myself."

He purses his lips, casually leaning on the edge of the desk behind him. "Well, from where I'm sittin', I think you're taking this pretty damn well." He crosses his arms across his chest, his green eyes thoughtful.

"Well," I mimic his tone and his posture, leaning on the desk beside him. "I think I've reached the standard limit for life changing revelations. I'm bound to be desensitized to it by now, don't _you_ think?"

"Touché." His lips lift into a small grin.

The room grows silent as we get lost in our own thoughts. After a couple minutes, he pushes off the desk to stand on his feet and I follow him, doing the same.

"You're gonna be okay though." He states. "Maybe not now, but you will be." His eyes search my face, assuring. "You're tough. I know you don't think it, but I do. You just gotta keep up hope, Hol. We're in this together now and we'd be damn fools to let you go at this alone. " He touches a hand to my shoulder comfortingly. "We will always have your back. No matter what."

My lips form into a smile, my heart warming at his words. My arms instantly pull him into a hug, my face in his chest. "Thanks." I mumble timidly against the smooth leather of his jacket, the thick fabric smelling of whiskey and cologne. I feel him tense against me for a moment before relaxing and wrapping his arms around me in return, a sigh escaping his lips.

Dean wasn't a consoling type. It wasn't hard to notice. Yet, it was moments like this where I felt like I was finally getting to see the real Dean Winchester. The one his brother looked up to as a child and now. Not the egotistical stud that he claims to be, but a man with a honest heart.

A good soul.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, hugging each other. It isn't until someone clears their throat nearby that we quickly release our embrace and turn towards the interruption, seeing Bobby with a spatula in hand, eying the both of us. My cheeks flush despite the fact that Dean and I did nothing indiscreet, and my eyes glue to the ground. I see Dean's feet shuffle awkwardly under Bobby's gaze as I stare at the carpet.

"What?" Dean huffs.

"Nothin'." Bobby replies, aching a bushy brow. "Just came to tell you dinner's ready. That's all."

"Oh." Dean rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'll go get Sam and Cas then." He adds, quickly turning on his heel to leave the room.

I continue staring at the ground, embarrassed to meet Bobby's eyes, but move my feet forward as he walks his way back into the kitchen.

"You hungry?" He asks as I follow him.

I let out a quick sigh of relief for the change in subject. "Surprisingly, no, but it smells amazing in here." I sniff the air appreciatively. I pull out a chair and plop down into it. "I'm willing to force down on a couple burgers."

"Good, 'cause I cooked enough for a family of ten." He drawls, placing a mountain of patties in front of me. "But you better get your share now before Sam and Dean get here. If you don't eat fast enough, you don't eat. Just so we're clear."

I laugh, grabbing a warm patty and pulling it up to my mouth. "Crystal."

* * *

By the time Dean, Sam, and Cas get to the table, I am only a few bites into my burger.

However, despite the mouth-watering aroma of the sandwich in front of me, it tasted horrible. The delicious and fatty juices dripping off the hunk of meat tasted like paste and mush. I had to swallow a couple times to actually get it to go down.

It worried me since the last time I had a decent meal was the night Sariel was killed. Technically, I should want to eat as much food as Dean and Sam are, but the hunger just isn't there. Maybe I'll ask Bobby about it later.

While Dean and Sam demolish the tower of food, Cas watches in disgust. The absolute abnormality of an angel of the lord having a BBQ dinner with a bunch of humans, well, besides me of course, was comical.

"Cut it out Dean! I grabbed it first!" Sam shouts, elbowing his brother away from his plate.

"Oh, come on Sammy! You know that burger has my name on it. When did you start eating meat anyways? Usually you're a twig eater."

"Yeah, but sometimes I like to get some protein in every once in a while." Sam scoffs. "Why do you need it? You eat these every day!"

"Yeah, but that don't mean I don't appreciate a good home-cooked patty." Dean smirks at him, knocking his leg against Sam's chair.

While Sam stables himself, Dean quickly steals the burger off his plate. "You snooze, you lose." He winks before devouring the burger in two bites.

"Seriously?" Sam retorts. "Are you five?"

"Actually I'm four in a half." Dean murmurs around a mouthful of food.

My cheeks ache from smiling at their banter, enjoying how relaxed they seemed to be here.

"Idjits." I hear Bobby mumble under his breath, but his own lips carry a smile as he brings a burger to his mouth.

I stare around the table. Bobby still grinning like a proud parent and Dean giving Sam a playful noogie, while Cas shakes his head in disapproval.

This is what it was like to be in a family. It might not be the perfect example, but it is what it is.

And now...it was mine.

* * *

After dinner, I wash up for bed and pack my clothes into a backpack that Bobby gave me. I didn't have much besides the clothes that Dean just bought so I finished within a couple minutes.

"I need to buy some toiletries while we're on the road." I mutter to myself, peering at my bag pathetically. Half of the bag is occupied by clothes and the other half by empty space. I sigh, flopping down onto my bed, hoping that the packing process would have went longer to keep my mind distracted. I glance at my bag beside me. "Well, I guess I should bring you to the car then." I speak to it, rolling my eyes at my willingness to talk to inanimate objects, before strapping it to my back and heading down the hallway to the stairs. As soon as I reach them, hushed voices sound below. I kneel down by the wood railing and press my face into the bars to see the boys lounging around the living room. The first voice I pick up is Castiel's.

"Even if my Father did send her, why should we trust his plans?" Cas huffs. "My Father disappeared and we haven't heard from him in years. Now he sends some girl to be our savior?" He grumbles. "God has been nothing, but a disappointment. What he has done was unforgivable. And _she_ is still a part of that, memories or not. So, who's to tell she won't do the same?"

"That isn't fair Cas. What he did wasn't her fault." Sam speaks. "And besides, we should be looking at this as an advantage. With her capabilities, we have more of a chance than we ever did before."

"That might be true, but we can never be sure Sam." The angel mumbles so quietly that I had to stop breathing just to hear him. "Because what if she is false hope for Earth?" He questions harshly. "I don't want us to pay the price of her actions. We saved the world once, we can do it again without her help." He declares. "And without my Father's."

"Oh really, tough guy?" Dean counters. "I don't know if you remember, but we barely made it out by the skin of our teeth last time this happened. Lucifer blew you up like an atom bomb for roasting Micheal and Sam…" He pauses for a moment. "Sam was freaking soulless until a couple months ago so, don't you tell me we can do this on our own because we can't. Look man, your dad is deadbeat. We can all relate here, but at least he gave us a fighting chance this time around and we'd be dumb enough not to take it, alright?"

"…Alright." Cas complies. "I'll trust you until I find her irredeemable, but she will be no friend of mine. "

"That's the spirit man." Dean replies whole-heartedly, ignoring Cas's last comment. "Now that we are all the same page, let's hit the hay. We don't know how long it'll take finding this hell-raising douche bag so, we should get as much shut eye as we can."

"Good idea." I hear Sam yawn loudly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

I quickly scramble to my feet as the sound of his boots thumping against the wood tiles coming closer, not wanting to explain myself if Sam caught me eavesdropping. When I reach the safety of my room, I shut the door quietly and press my back against it, sighing in relief. I slip away from the door and lay on the rumpled sheets of my bed, throwing my bag to the floor and switching off the lampshade beside me.

"So, I guess this is it then. This is what you wanted isn't it? For me to just accept my fate?" I stare at the dark ceiling above hoping that if I gazed at it long enough, it would answer, but obviously, it remained the same. I exhale in frustration.

_How do people even talk to God in the first place? Praying? Asking for a sign?_ I knew I had to connect to him through my powers, but the last time I did that resulted in me turning into a ticking time bomb. The pure look of terror on Dean and Sam's faces was something I would never forget. I was monster. I couldn't become that thing again. Not now, or ever. There had to be another way.

"Okay Holly…" I say encouragingly, "don't think about it, just do it."

I sit up in bed, determined to make my own way of tapping into the heavenly vortex, work. I let my knees dip into the mattress and clasp my hands together, copying the way I saw people pray on TV. I close my eyes and breathe in and out deeply. Opening my mind and willing it to focus on one thing. My Father.

I force my palms together and search for the field of energy hiding under the surface. Once I think I feel something, I push out. A vein in my neck bulges from the effort and my breathing becomes harsh with exertion, seeing stars behind my eyelids. I almost give up until the tiniest feeling of a spark tingles under my skin. I clench my teeth and forcefully shove against the veil that was holding me back from the other side, grunting with the effort. Beads of sweat drip down my face, until finally, the curtain lifts.

A rush of goose bumps form over my entire body as a strange sensation overcomes me. My eyes slowly open to reveal my room glowing with white.


	7. On the Hunt

**Author's Note: I'm back from the dead! Jk...but it probably seems that way. Sorry for the very long time it took for me to update. I was having trouble seeing where I wanted this story to go then suddenly inspiration hit me like a train and I'm so excited for you guys to read what's coming! I did, however, manage to type up a super long chapter this time. So, enjoy and I promise next chapter will be up by this month! I already have half of it done as we speak. Like I said...I was on a typing roll this week. Love all you supporters! It's baffling to think that people actually enjoy my work and I thank you all for reading. Good luck on finals ya'll! 3**

* * *

_A surge of energy coursed through me, like a white hot flame, but the warmth was pleasant and in no way painful. My mind raced, yet my heart was steady as a strange sense of security washed over me, telling me to not be afraid. And that's when the room began to transform. _

_The furniture slowly disappeared until I was left in a white room. It was so blindingly bright that my eyes strained to see. As my vision began to focus, I realized I wasn't alone. There was a star, but it's brilliance resembled a supernova. Light emerges from it like a huge, welcoming flame. "Wh-Where am I?" I whispered to myself. My body felt detached, yet whole. Here, but not completely. I had to admit this was ranked in the top five of "the freakiest out-of-body experiences" to date. _

"_Hello, Holly." A voice suddenly spoke, rattling my whole body with its strength and authority. _

_I looked up into the light once more, my hand shielding my eyes from the blinding rays. __My mind rattled in my brain. Could this really be …Him? __"Are...are you-"  
_

"_Yes." The glowing orb confirmed and my eyes widened in shock. "I am who you think I am. I am the creator of heaven, Earth, the entire universe, and of you."_

_If I was aware of my body, I would be covered in goose bumps, but the heavenly and powerful entity in front of me was all that I could be aware of._

"_Holly." The voice, God, boomed. "You have a great duty ahead of you. You are the one to end the next apocalypse."_

"_Yes, I get that, b-but I barely know- I mean, you're God." I rambled on. "I finally found you and I just-"  
_

"_I have created you from me. You are capable of such a task Fallen One." His voice assured. "It is your destiny."_

_"But why? Why create me when you could be the one to stop it? Wouldn't that make more sense?" I inquired, confused as to why the almighty God of the universe couldn't handle something like this on his own. If he had enough power to create us, the world, and the universe, then he could end all of this with the snap of his fingers._

"_I am, but a mere ruler of my people, Holly. I may have been involved with them a long, long time ago, but things have changed. The world is not like it once was when I last touched the Earth." He elaborated. "People would be afraid. They would not understand as they are weak in faith and fear the unknown. Therefore, you must be the one to show them the true strength of my power. To make them all believe in me as I in you, but in the form as they see acceptable to their current beliefs."_

_I guessed it made sense. I couldn't even believe that I was speaking to the big man myself. Maybe a human-sized version of God's power was a good idea? Less cause for people freaking out over a giant supernova-sized star calling himself God while the world was coming to its never-ending doom. However, facing this "mano y mano" didn't sound so reassuring. "__I hardly think it's fair to make it a one man job, w__ell, including Dean, Sam, and Cas, but that's besides the point. Cuatros companeros vs the big baddie seems a bit extreme, don't you think?" I didn't know why I was arguing with God of all people, but I needed answers while I could get them. _

"_The person you seek is not as evil as you seem to think he is, Fallen One. He was once an innocent boy plagued with the capabilities that one of my fallen angels has set upon him. Lucifer." He explained, his tone turning sullen like a disappointed father. _

_"He's a boy?" I asked stunned. "How could one kid be the cause of Armageddon?"_

_"Why, yes. He is a youth, but he is not to be underestimated." He ordered sternly. "When Lucifer set this curse upon him, he was only a child. He had no recollection of his power, therefore they remained dormant. It wasn't until Lucifer was freed from hell did his curse awaken during the first apocalypse. Yet, once Lucifer was returned to his cage, the boy still had his power intact and it has only grown stronger with age." __Even with the powerful undertones of God's voice, his grief for this boy was evident. "__His life has been one of great difficulty and suffering. __He is lost, Holly. So, lost that he is no longer the innocent boy he used to be. His mind is corrupted with anger and hate. His power has only progressed to incredible limits by his rage, causing many to suffer in result. His name is Jesse Turner." _

* * *

**ONE MONTH LATER **

My eyes watch as the grassy farm lands of Iowa zoom past us with alarming speed, seeming almost like a green blur. If the road wasn't completely empty of other cars, I would probably scold Dean about his reckless driving, but since the only thing we've seen so far is field after field of corn, I decide to keep quiet. He was never the kind of guy to follow the rules of the road anyway. I had to admit that the scenery was kinda beautiful when I could actually make out the details. However, after driving for six hours straight and it being the only view for the past four hundred miles, it started to aggravate me to no end.

So far, the search for the heir to the second apocalypse wasn't going smoothly. After my trip upstairs, I immediately told the boys, Bobby, and Cas what happened as soon as I broke the connection. What I found odd was their reserved behavior when revealing the apocalypse mastermind as a boy named Jesse Turner.

Once we were all packed and ready to go, I kept prodding them about it, but no one seemed to want to fess up. So much for "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" pact. Guess it was only made to be one-sided.

Despite the boys' silent treatment, I had to give it to this Jesse kid for knowing how to play hide-and-seek. He knew how to cover his tracks. After a few weeks of searching for him, Sam and Dean easily began to recognize the patterns that they recorded on their map. At every small town we've visited, people were missing. But here's the kicker. According to missing reports, some faces didn't just turn out to be random civilians, there were also familiar faces. The very same faces that Dean and Sam had saved from old cases, to be exact. And because of this new information, Operation "End Judgment Day part dos" had to be put on pause, for now.

"Alright fellas, we're pullin' over. Baby's working up an appetite." Dean shouts over the sound of the blaring stereo. "We gotta stop to fill 'er up. And after this we ain't stopping until we hit the next town. So, I suggest you use the John while you can or else make your peace with Mother Nature." He adds, staring pointedly at me in the rear view mirror.

Sam and Cas agree in silence, nodding their heads as I huff. "I'd like to see you try squatting and peeing in the freaking middle of nowhere." I grumble as the car pulls to a stop at some tiny gas station. As soon as the gas cuts off, we all pile out of the Impala to stretch our legs, except Cas, who remains in his seat staring blankly into space.

I wander to the front of Dean's car and lean on the hood to soak up some vitamin D while everyone else goes along doing their own tasks. Cas zoning out into oblivion, while Sam takes a stroll towards the mini gas market in search of travel-sized snacks. I watch Dean grab a beer from the cooler in the trunk, cracking the bottle open with an expert hand before slamming it shut. He places the gas pump's nozzle into the tank of the Impala, or Baby, as he so sweetly calls her. His eyebrows furrow as he watches the numbers increase on the pump, his mouth set in a scowl as he brings the ember bottle to his lips.

"Hey, you alright?" I call out to him, knowing it was a stupid question to ask due to the current situation we were in, but seeing the anxiety brewing there was making me on edge.

His eyes shift to where I sit, giving me an aggravated glance as I shrug. "I know, I know. Stupid question" I roll my eyes, "but humor me." I scoot over on the glossy car hood and pat the empty space beside me, welcoming him to join.

He sighs, strolling away from the pump and sits next to me, the car dipping a little under his weight. I wait as he takes a sip of his beer before speaking.

"So many damn people are missin' and we barely have any leads. We can't even trace any signs of demons! No sulfur, no weird electrical outages, nada." He rubs a hand down his face in unease. "Two hunters, an angel, and the friggin' Holy Spirit of God can't track down a single clue. And to top it all off, a little twerp is behind all of this. So, how do you think I feel, Hol?" His voice comes out clipped and harsh.

"Dean…" I start, but hold my tongue, keeping anything else from coming out. Giving the typical "It's not your fault" speech usually works with other people, but not the Winchesters. The Winchesters basically lived up to their noses in guilt, no matter how hard you tried to convince them it wasn't their load to carry. And Dean of all people was the worst at reassuring. Especially when he believed he was the cause. He doesn't just live in his guilt, he practically drowns himself in it.

"Everyone we saved is gone Holly. Just damn gone." He cuts me off before I could muster up a sensible response. His calloused fingers rake through his scalp furiously. "In South Dakota. Minnesota. Now Iowa. It's like we were never there to save them. Like all our hard work was for nothin'. These people could be dead… or worse…" He wavers off, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, exhaling. "I don't even want to look anywhere else." He finishes grimly.

My mouth frowns at the defeated tone to his voice. His words were heavy and weighed with distress. My lips fumble for something to say. Something to reassure him that we would figure everything out in time, but I wasn't that optimistic myself. I glance around the parking lot to see Sam paying at the cashier's desk through the window. His face looking so worn that he actually looks a few years older than the baby-faced guy I met a couple months ago. Even Dean is looking a little worse for wear with his eyes lacking the lively fervor they usually had. And Cas, despite being a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent, was everything, but himself. He was deflated, completely drained. Not even my presence sparked his usual irritation. It was a damn depressing sight, the lot of us. It isn't until Rebecca pops to the forefront of my mind that I let the various thoughts of despair stop.

All her love and sacrifice made me who I am today. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her. She worked so hard for me to keep on going, and I want to give it all up just because we were stuck in a rut caused by some kid? No. She didn't deserve that. And neither did Sam and Dean. The boys were better than this, and I'm sure they've been through worse, considering they won't tell me much in the first place. I wasn't going to let them give up. Not after all the times they didn't give up on me. I was not going to be that hopeless, lost girl anymore. Things had to change. And change now.

"You know what I think?" I ask, my voice filled with vigor. "I think that your attitude is shit." I retort as his confused gaze meets mine. "This is what Jesse wants. He wants us to break down before we even get our feet out the door. And we are falling right into his trap. I know that the disappearing victims were a huge hurdle thrown our way, but we can't let it discourage us. It should make us more determined to fight harder, not give up."

"And you don't think I know that?" He scoffs, crossing his arms firmly across his chest in defense. "I have eyes, Hol. I don't need you to point out stuff I already know."

"Well, I do know _you,_ Dean. And you are not the kind of guy to buckle down just because things aren't going the way you want them to." I retort. "You and your brother are one of the best hunters out there and let's not forget a powerful celestial being, and me, are at your guys back. I get that we've been given a bad hand and trust me, feeling guilty because of those lives being on your hands, won't help a thing. Crying about it isn't going to get us anywhere. I know that from personal experience. So, let's just be done with all this crap. Because I know I am. I'm done with all the hopelessness, the fear, _and_ the hiding. We are better than this. So, lets _suck it up_ and keep barreling on."

"Well, damn." Dean whistles, his eyebrow arching in surprise. "Who the hell started up your engine?" He takes a swig of his beer to hide the hint of a grin growing on his lips.

"I-I'm sorry Dean. I thought about Rebecca and I just got so angry with myself. Seeing you want to give up just reminded me of why I still needed to stay strong. Because I don't want you guys to become like how I was. I didn't mean to offend-"

"No harm, no foul." He reassures, tilting his beer towards me, his mouth fully curved into that cheeky smile I was familiar with. "It's not like you're wrong about anything." He lifts a shoulder into a shrug. "Besides, that was one hell of a pep talk. Probably one of the most heart-tugging ones I've heard in a while." He adds as I briefly glare at him, thinking he was mocking me. "What? It's true. I can respect when someone can decently knock me down a peg or two when I need it. I think that deserves a drink." He holds his bottle out to me. My lips form into a smirk, rolling my eyes, and grasp the bottle from his hands. I take a swig and enjoy the burn of alcohol as it slides down my throat, seeing Sam strolling toward us with bags in tow.

"Hey guys. Got some grub for the road." He announces as he reaches us, placing the plastic bags on the hood to display its contents. "I got us some water, a couple bags of chips, and fruit that'll last us a couple hours on the road."

"Sammy, this is why I don't put you on food duty." Dean complains, staring at a pair of red apples like they were an insult to his existence. "A waste of money on things that only _you_ eat."

"Dude, I don't think you understand the line between real food and junk food. I'm surprised that half the crap you eat doesn't kill you." Sam throws back.

"Whatever." Dean grunts, taking the beer from my hands to take a long pull on it.

"So…what're you guys talkin' about?" Sam asks as he places the food back into their respected bags.

"Nothin', except Holly here just ripped me a new one." Dean states some-what proudly.

"You did?" Sam's mouth slightly gapes. "Wish I'd been there to see it." His face breaks into the dimpled smile you haven't seen in the past month. He raises his hand towards me and I slap my palm to his own with a shit-eating grin.

Dean rolls his eyes at the exchange. "Alright, enough jabbing at me. Did you find anything useful in there or where you too preoccupied on your shopping spree?"

"Matter of fact, I did." Sam replies smugly, sliding a folded up piece of paper out from under his jacket. He opens it up and splays the missing report page on the hood for us to see. "So get this…" He begins. "Another missing report just came in, but it seems to be the same as all the others we've been dealing with. No sign of a break in, struggle, or even an eye-witness account for that matter. Just…gone." He points to the areas of the article that describe the police force's confusion about the whole case. "And yet, it was claimed as a solid kidnapping…and guess who the missing suspect is?" He looks at us expectantly before flipping the page over to show the face of a woman looking in her early 30's.

"Ain't that the reverend's daughter from Ankeny?" Dean asks, rubbing the stubble on his chin with a hand. "Um…Lori Sorensen, right?"

"Yeap, that's her. She wore the crucifix made out of Jacob Karn's hook."

"Oh, yeah…Hook Man's last target…." Dean smiles mischievously, waggling his eyebrows at his little brother. "She's also the one that tried to get a little taste of Sam Winchester before the case was closed, isn't that right little brother?"

"Say what now?" My interest is immediately on Sam, noticing the apple of his cheeks flushing with red.

"Shut up Dean! Nothing even happened!" He quickly defends, brushing off his brother's comments. "Anyways, we should be focusing on the fact that this was sent in over five hours ago. Supposedly, the kidnapping happened around three this morning. That means the time gap is still pretty fresh...maybe we can track her down."

"Maybe." Dean perks up. "And we might just have an advantage this time around." He glances at me with a glint in his eye.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, and no!" I shake my head furiously back and forth. "There is no way I'm using my damn holy juju! Not a chance!"

"And why the hell not!?" Dean scoffs in annoyance. "What happened to 'sucking it up and going out guns blazing' and all that?"

"Please, you know it has nothing to do with that. My powers are still unstable. You and Sam should know that first-hand." I defend. "Besides, I'm not an on and off switch. It's either turning into heaven's death star or blacking out from trying to focus this insane amount of energy inside me. 'My father'," I quote with my fingers for emphasis, "didn't exactly give me an instruction manual about myself." I sigh, grabbing the beer out of Dean's grasp and pressing the bottle to my lips, downing the last drop. "I mean, yeah, Cas gave me a few lessons on trying to control it, but that doesn't mean I'm ready for the battlefield." I claim, holding the cool glass between my hands, watching the condensation run down the side of it. "We'll just need to figure out an alternative until I_ know_ I can control it."

"What about your connection?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. Did Mr. Miyagi ever try to talk to you again?" Dean tacks on. My hands instantly tighten around the empty bottle in my grasp.

"Nope. Absolutely nothing." I exhale in frustration. "It's not like I haven't tried since the last time. Trust me, I tried. It's just that every time I _do _it feels like the line is on hold or something."

"Give it up for heaven being useless as usual." Dean grumbles, rising from the hood to check the gas pump. "I see where the angels get it from."

Sam grasps my knee and gives me a small smile in encouragement. "It's alright. We'll figure something out." He pats my leg comfortingly. "Anyways…we still got Cas." He adds, jerking his thumb towards the Impala.

As expected, Cas looks the same as the last time I saw him. Absent and dazed. "Yeah, like the bozo with wings is gonna help us." Dean taunts. "I mean look at him! Is he even on planet Earth right now? Hey!" Dean knocks on the glass to try and get his attention. "Earth to Cas! You in there!?"

"I am quite aware you are all talking about me, you know." Cas abruptly pops into view, causing Dean to flinch away from his sudden presence.

"What the hell man?!" Dean hollers at him, looking into the car and back to the angel that was now by his side. "Where were you?"

"I heard the angels talking and I was listening for information, unlike the unusable bozo you claim me to be." His blue eyes squint at him.

"You were on angel radio?" Sam speaks up, his tone turning inquisitive. "What did they say?"

"Unfortunately, nothing very useful for us." His eyes sweep over us briefly. "But, they did manage to notice that besides the abductions; things have been pretty quiet lately, which is strange for the nearing of the end times."

"What do you mean by quiet?" I rise from my seat on the car to face him.

"Quiet, as in not much killings of the supernatural kind occurring." He elaborates, his hand going to his neck to loosen the knot of his blue tie. "I'm surprised that Sam and Dean haven't realized it yet, actually."

"We're kinda worried about other things besides hunting right now, Cas." Dean scorns. "Why don't you ask some of your fluffy-winged friends to help us and maybe we can get this show on the road?"

"And maybe if you and Sam didn't get in my way in the first place, none of this would be happening right now." Castiel seethes, causing Dean's eyes to narrow. "Don't you dare accuse the garrison of being indolent when we always try in completing our duties, no matter what the cost." His fists ball at his sides. "We may not be the perfect soldiers, but we always fulfill our mission. So much I can say for you and your brother." He snaps.

"What?! We were just trying to do what was best for the kid and you know it!" Dean roars, his face tense with anger.

"Do your best for _what_ kid?" I cut into their argument, apprehensively.

"Hmh, looks like the Winchesters have some explaining to do." Cas announces, eying Dean deliberately. "I'll give you some time alone, then."

"Now you wait here you son of a-" Dean begins to shout until the angel disappears into thin air. "The disappearing act again!? You're a coward Cas!" Dean hollers up into the sky, his mouth set into a grimace.

"Sam, Dean…? What is he talking about, really?" I ask, looking back and forth to Dean's simmering anger and Sam's humiliated expression.

"Dean. She needs to know." Sam speaks, his voice guilt-ridden. "I get it. We messed up, but it's only fair. We've made a pact to not keep secrets from each other and we haven't done our part. Now is probably for the best."

"Yeah, whatever." He retorts, quickly placing the nozzle back into the pump and shutting the car's gas tank with a slam. "I'm going for a ride. I don't need to relive my slip ups. I already friggin' know. " He swiftly opens up the driver's side door and clambers in before I reach over and stop him.

"Dean, wait." His eyes slowly rise from my hand on his arm to my gaze. His face faintly softens once he sees the my remorseful expression. "I…" I fumble for words to comfort him, but fail, once again. "…Be careful." I finish off lamely.

His eyes stay on me a few seconds longer before slowly exhaling. "I just need to let some steam off, alright? I'll be fine." He waits for me to nod and let go of his arm before turning to Sam. "Call me when story time is over. I'll try to get a head start on the case while I'm gone. " He hollers over the starting roar of the engine before peeling out onto the highway. Sam and I watch as the taillights of Baby disappear down the road before awkwardly turning towards one another.

"That went well." Sam sighs, raking his long fingers through his hair. "So…" he begins, "I found out from the cashier that there's a diner halfway down the road…wanna walk?" He offers. "We still have a lot of daylight to burn so; we can get a quick bite to eat while we're there?"

"Yeah, sure." I give him a small smile, trying to rid my thoughts of Dean doing something risky while he's not in his right mind set. "Walking sounds amazing after being in a car all morning."

Sam chuckles lightly in return. "Tell me about it."

We both begin walking side by side, the only sound being the gravel scraping against our boots. We pass by a few sparse trees giving us a few seconds of shade as we glide past them in the summer heat.

"I want to know more about Jesse." I state, enjoying the feeling of the wind gently blowing through the air. "His name seems to have some effect on all of you so; I know you guys have some sort of history with him." I add. "I just want to know his story, the _whole_ story."

Sam gives me a quick glance before staring down the dirt road ahead of us, his jaw setting. "Jesse was a good kid." He starts out. "He may not seem like it now with him being the cause of the end of the world and all, but it's true. He had a good heart."

"Huh." I add indifferently. "God said the same thing. Guess he wasn't lying."

"Did he?" He seems baffled by that information. "Didn't know he was a sentimental guy."

"Neither did I, but he's not exactly an open book." I claim, kicking a stone that was near my boot in the process.

Sam's eyes watch as the rock tumbles a few feet ahead of us. "Look, I know we've been hiding some stuff from you, but-"

"No way! The Winchester's and secrets?" I cut him off, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now that's puzzling."

His lips lift into a smile despite my rude interruption. "Yeah, yeah. We're about as good at keeping secrets as you." He gently teases back, his arm bumping my own. "Anyways," he starts again, "about Jesse…he wasn't just some kid we knew from back in the day. He was actually one of our cases from last year." I feel his eyes on me and nod lightly, staring at our moving feet, waiting for him to go on. "There was a series of murders in Nebraska that echoed fairy tales and urban legends. So, when Dean and I went to go check it out thinking it was some kind of vengeful spirit or pagan God, it turned out to be an eleven year old."

"Wait, if Jesse was such a good kid back then, why was he killing people?"

"He was." He defends, gesturing with the wave of his hand. "He just didn't know he was the one causing it at the time."

"Oh. I guess God must've left out the pre-killing spree out of Jesse's biography." I roll my eyes up to the sky. "Typical miscommunication as always." I grumble, not noticing Sam had stopped walking. I turn around to stare at him in confusion, seeing a bit of irritation displaying on his face. "Oh, sorry." I quickly apologize, realizing I was interrupting him with my side comments. "Shutting up now." I quickly zip my lips shut and throw the metaphorical lock away.

Sam shakes his head in amusement, eyeing a car that zooms past us before walking by my side again. "As I was saying, with Jesse's abilities, he could make everything he believed come true. For instance, a babysitter was accidentally killed by itching powder."

"Wh-" I begin to ask before Sam waves me off.

"No talking remember?" He patiently reminds me. "But, yeah." He continues as I shut my mouth again. "Itching powder. Supposedly, the kid she was watching put it on her brush as a practical joke and once the stuff got in her hair she scratched her brains out. Since Jesse believed itching powder could actually do something like that, it came true. It's a crappy way to die if you ask me, but the other people weren't so lucky themselves." He shrugs.

I raise my hand slowly, wanting to ask one last question before completely shutting up. Sam eyes me sternly and I hold up one finger. "Alright." He sighs. "But only one question."

"Okay, so he accidentally killed people with his powers because of what he believed. I get that, but God said Lucifer gave him those abilities, except he called it more of a curse. What I don't get is why Lucifer specifically chose him to do his bidding? He's only a boy. Why did he find Jesse so special?"

"That was more than one question." He quickly points out, but once he sees my impatience for his answer he continues on. "The thing is that Jesse wasn't one of the usual monsters that we hunt. He was a cambion. An offspring of a human mother and a demon father." He elaborates, seeing my eyes go wide. "Turns out that Lucifer claimed him to be the next anti-Christ and was going to use him as a weapon in the war against heaven. And that leads us to why Cas was, well, is, still pissed off at us..."

"Cas was ordered to kill him, wasn't he? But you couldn't let him do it." I whisper in awe, not caring if I broke my silent vow anymore. "You and Dean decided to let him live."

"Sounds crazy with all that is happening right now, I know." He chuckles somberly. "But I don't regret saving him." He confesses, his hazel eyes honest and sincere. "The only thing I regret is not having watched over him better. Maybe if Dean and I tried harder to find him when he ran, we could've convinced him to stay with us, to guide him away from the dark path he was destined to take."

"Sam, you can't think like that." I reply when he stops walking, not realizing that we already made it to our destination. "You and Dean did everything you could to give him his best chance. You let him live. You can't blame yourselves for wanting to protect him. No matter the reasons for why he is doing the things he is doing now. You save people, it's what you do." I smile at him, putting a comforting hand to his arm. "Without you, I would be lost, or dead, or worse, but you can't save everyone, Sam. You and your brother are only two people. You guys already do more than enough for the world."

"I know," he sighs, "but I still can't help feeling that way." He grows quiet for a moment before gesturing towards the way of the diner behind me. "So…you still hungry?"

"Not really, but you could use a nice cup of coffee." I comment, hoping to do anything to lift his mood, even if it's just a little. "I'll pay?" I offer. "And don't you dare say no because I'll insist in a _not_ so friendly way."

"Yeah, no, that sounds great. Thanks." The small curve of his mouth barely forms a smile. "Let's just hope Dean doesn't do anything stupid while he's out." He adds suddenly, worry creasing his face.

"Yeah, lets." I agree, the same amount of concern lacing my tone.

* * *

**(Dean P.O.V.)**

"_Be careful."_

Her voice rings in his mind as clear as a bell. Dean quickly shakes his head to rid of it. He roughly pulls off his tie with one hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel. His FBI get-up rumples from rushing to slip it off. He drives towards the way of the St. Barnabas Church in Ankeny where Sam and him had one of their first few cases together five years ago, preparing himself for a fight.

"_That's right agent, absolutely no sign of break in. Even our best detectives looked around and couldn't find one tad of evidence." One of the officers replied, causing Dean to scratch his chin in thought._

"_Mhm. Who called the report in?"_

"_Her father, sir, the reverend." He reported. "Said he was at some mission for the sick and she came to visit him for the weekend. When he got home that morning, she still had her luggage and purse left at the house. Her cell phone, keys, and wallet were all left behind."_

"_Is there any sort of cameras or security watch in that neighborhood that could've conjured up anything?" Dean questioned, taking note of the unusual behavior. _

"_Yes, sir, but no one seen the footage just yet. We haven't got authority to besides the Sheriff because the case is still fresh. " He explained. "They're in his office as we speak."_

"_Mind if I take a look at them?" Dean asked, his hand gesturing towards the way of the Sheriff's office._

"_Um, I'm not sure that he'll like people goin' into his office while he's on duty, but for a government official, I guess I could pull some strings." He shrugs as Dean smirks at him impishly._

"_I appreciate the respect you have for the badge Officer…um," Dean quickly glimpsed down to his name tag, "Peterson. I'll just be in for a while and be outta your hair." _

"_No problem, Agent Stark." He replied with the tip of his hat. "Oh, and by the way, the girl has a history for being a suspect to a few murders years ago. You might want to take a look at the old files we have up on it if you need any more data to look at. Personally, I think her kidnapping might have to do with her troubled past." He added quickly under his breath._

"_I'm well aware of it already, but thanks." Dean dismissed him before turning on his heel, his eyes set on the door titled "Sheriff". He quickly scanned side to side before slipping into the room. He flicked the switch on the wall, filling the dark space with light. His eyes caught the flashy awards and certificates embroidered on the wall and scoffed before sitting down in the big desk chair. A few CD's marked as "Sorenson case" was placed next to the monitor. Dean swiftly moved the mouse, waking the computer, and sighed in annoyance upon seeing a password lock. _

"_Of course." He grumbled to himself, quickly thinking through the different combinations it could be. He gazed around the room, taking in information from the wall, tapping his fingers against the wood desk impatiently. His eyes spotted a tacky looking frame containing a picture of the Sheriff beaming, his hands holding a sign saying "The Ultimate Flapjack Destroyer" in front of some Pancake House. Dean shrugged, typing in "Ultimate Destroyer" into the box and pressed enter._

_As the system logged him on, Dean's lips pulled up into a grin. "Alright, Sheriff. I'll give you that." He quipped. "Now, let's see what we have here." He rubbed his hands together before taking out the CD's and inserting them into the hard drive. He waited for the video to load before clicking the play button on the screen. Instantly, he saw a street view of Lori's neighborhood, her house located on the far left of the monitor. He skipped through some of the footage that didn't catch his interest until a figure appeared from the far right of the video. _

_Dean sat up in his seat watching as the person walked towards Lori's house in a weird garb. He zoomed in on the person, seeing that they were actually wearing a cloak of some kind…or was it a robe? He watched as the figure approached the house knocking and waiting until someone turned on the house lights and opened up the door. Dean instantly recognized Lori's face, although she was a few years older since the last time he saw her. Her body was adorning night clothes and her hair was little mussed, looking like she just woke up. Dean saw her eyes widened in shock as the stranger in the robe pulled her out the door and turned around. _

_Dean's eyes squinted in confusion upon seeing Lori's father, Reverend Sorenson, being the one dragging her back towards the way he came. "What the hell are you doin', Reverend?" Dean mumbled as they reached the side walk. A car passed by the street and the Reverend slightly turned away covering his eyes as the car's light beams passed over them. After the vehicle drove out of sight, the Reverend led his daughter out of the frame. Dean fasts forwarded the rest of the video, finding nothing else useful besides the snippet he just saw. He pondered for a moment, pushing back from the desk and swiveling in the chair._

"_There has to be somethin' here. Come on, Dean." He mumbled encouragingly to himself before an idea suddenly came to mind. He pulled himself back towards the monitor rewinding the tape back to when Lori's father was dragging her down the steps, pausing right before the car entered the frame. He slowly clicked the play button until the car's beam seems to land on them. He zoomed into the shot to get a closer look and his eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing the man's eyes flicker white as the car's lights strikes them before his hand came up to shield his eyes. "Well, I'll be damned." Dean quickly closed the program and rushed out the door._

As soon as Dean was out of his monkey suit, he slips on his leather jacket, swerving the car a bit as he did so. He fought with himself internally, wondering if he should call Sam and Holly or take the case solo. His hand slams on the wheel in anger, knowing that if he didn't tag down this bastard now, it might be too late for Lori. It was only one shape-shifter. He could easily take it down on his own with the silver blade he had back in the trunk.

He sighs in frustration, reaching for his jeans on the passenger seat, not having the ability to change pants while he was driving. He slips his hand in the front pocket and brings out his phone, dialing the first number on his contacts. The phone rings for a bit before Sam's voice greets him. "Hey, Sam." He quickly cuts him off. "Look man, I don't have time to explain, but a shape shifter kidnapped Lori."

"Wait, what?! How do you know?" Sam's voice buzzes from the other end of the receiver, sounds of people talking and glass clinking in the background.

"Saw it with my own eyes at the police station. They had security cameras stationed around her neighborhood and caught the whole thing." He confirms. "It's no wonder the cops couldn't find signs of break in. The thing changed into the Reverend so, Lori didn't think she was gettin' kidnapped. But, anyways, I'm on my way to the church to scope it out for myself. It seems like my best bet right now. They couldn't have gotten far with it still bein' light out."

"Dean, no! You aren't going in there alone! Don't be an idiot." Sam chastises him before speaking to another person on the other end of the phone, asking for a check. "Just come get us first so, we can back you up."

"We don't have time, Sammy. The girl could be taking her last breath for all we know. Just meet me up at St. Barnabas Church in Ankeny ASAP. I'll update you if I find anything, alright?" He speaks quickly.

"Dean don't-!" Sam shouts before Dean ends the call, throwing his phone back to the passenger seat.

"Sorry little brother. I gotta take my best shot when I have it." He mumbles to himself, pressing down on the gas pedal towards the way of the church.

* * *

**(Back at the diner)**

"Dean don't-" Sam begins to yell before cutting off short, causing a few people in the diner to eye him warily from their own booths. "Dammit!" He growls, pulling his phone away from his ear in irritation. "The dick hung up on me." He replies, looking to me with his eyebrows furrowed.

"What should we do?" I ask, feeling panicked. "We don't even have a car."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I'm just worried he'll get into trouble long before we can get to him." He grumbles, rising from his seat and throwing down a quick tip for the waitress on the table. "Let's go." He orders, quickly strolling to the door as I rush after him.

* * *

"Um, not to change the main focus of the mission, but when in the hell did you learn how to hot-wire a car?" I question, clutching at my seat as Sam hits well past the speed limit. "Not that I'm not surprised. Just more, like, curious." I add timidly, trying to distract myself from looking at the rising speedometer.

"Sometimes we have to make a quick getaway during a case, and when the Impala isn't easy to get to then we kinda borrow whatever is nearby." He speaks quickly under his breath before reaching into his back pocket for his phone and throwing it to me. "Hey, can you call Dean again?"

I unwillingly release my grip onto the seat to catch the phone, opening it up to search for Dean's number and pressing send. My heart races as the phone rings, silently praying for Dean to pick up. I jump at the sound of his voice coming through the speaker, but quickly deflate once I realize it was only his voice mail greeting. "He didn't pick up. It went straight to his voice mail." I say, feeling fear seep into my bones as I end the call.

"This is bad. Dean usually answers his phone. The only time he doesn't is when he's caught up in trouble." His grip tightens on the steering wheel until the bone of his knuckle shows through the skin.

"All the more reason to get there faster then." I add, glancing at him.

"Alright." Sam's face sets in determination, slamming his foot on the accelerator. "Hold on."


	8. The Seekers

A/N: Told you guys I would pop the next chapter out quick! Hope finals week is going well for ya'll...I know my isn't going so smooth with me having all this inspiration to write...but enough about me! Back to the story!

* * *

Once we reach St. Barnabus, Sam pulls up to the side walk, quickly killing the engine and jumping out. I follow suit as his eyes swiftly search around the grounds, landing on the Impala parked right under a canopy of trees.

We run towards the car, immediately seeing it unoccupied. "He was here alright." He confirms, feeling the top of the hood. "Still a bit warm. He might've gotten here thirty minutes to an hour ago." He rushes towards the back of the car, kneeling down to pick pocket the trunk with a set of metal instruments. I arch my eyebrow in surprise when the back pops opens after a couple seconds, but shake it off. I shouldn't be surprised he could pick a lock. He did just hot-wire a car, after all.

I watch as he lifts the trunk to observe the mass heap of weaponry inside. It looked like it contained about a hundred different kinds of guns, knives, stakes, and whatnot strewn all over the place. How did they even find stuff back here?

"Looks like he took a silver blade with him in there, at least." He utters, digging through the pile and grabbing two blades, handing one to me. "Listen. This is gonna be dangerous, alright?" He begins, speaking in a professional manner. "These things are smart and can transform into any one and anything. Once they change into a person, sometimes they can even recall that specific person's memories. These silver blades hurt them so, trust your gut and use it." He eyes me firmly.

"Okay." My voice trembles pathetically in fear. He watches me for another moment before staring towards the church and waves me along. I clear my throat, slapping myself mentally and try putting on a brave face.

I got to be strong. Dean needs me. I need to take my own advice and suck it up. I suck in air and blow out noisily to conserve my resolve before hurrying after Sam.

The sun's just about to set once we reach the church's front doors. The doors lightly squeak on their hinges as Sam pushes one open. He puts his fingers to his lips and motions me forward, holding the blade ahead of him.

Chills run up my spine as I take in the cathedral. It would be beautiful if it wasn't for the current situation we were in. With the gorgeously stained glass windows, glowing in the last remaining bit of sunlight, it gave off more of a creepy vibe. Even the giant statue of Jesus floating above the pulpit looked menacing with shadows casting against his face in weird shapes.

Darkness settles across the cherry wood pews while Sam walks down the aisles, pulling out a flashlight and clicking it on, checking for anyone who could potentially be hiding in between the rows of seats. His hand rises above his head, silently calling me to him and I meet him halfway.

"I think it's clear. No sign of anything here. Unfortunately, that means we have to check the rest of the rooms in this place." He whispers, his eyes always sweeping across the church every other word. "I don't want to have to do this, but we might need to split up. The place is too big and we don't have enough time to search everywhere together. I'll take downstairs since it's bigger and you can take the Sunday school classrooms by the entrance." He instructs. "Oh, and here." He reaches into his jacket to pull out an extra flash light and hands it to me. "If you see anything, just shine it with this. A shifter's eyes will reflect back at you if you hit it with light. If you manage to find something, shout for me. I'll be quick, alright?" He rasps as I nod my head sharply. He places a hand on my shoulder for a short moment, the warmth from his palm soothingly me briefly. "You can do this. I promise I won't take long." He encourages before turning on his heel and walking to the front of the church towards a door labeled as the basement.

I watch his until his form disappears behind the door before turning the small flashlight on in my hand. I walk towards the front of the church from which we entered and turn to the left towards the classrooms, shining my beam of light down the hallway to guide me. While I search the hall, I notice scribbly drawings of Christian parables posted on the windows of the dark rooms.

A small smile forms on my lips, when I see a picture of a messily drawn dove holding an olive brand in its beak. I step up to it, seeing something written on the bottom in scraggly writing, and read "The Holy Spirit will bring peace", at the bottom. I ponder that statement for a second before a movement is caught in my peripheral.

I quickly spin around to where the motion came, turning the beam of light towards the far end of the hall and catch a form of a man standing there.

"S-Sam?" I choke out, seeing the similar looking boots and jeans ensemble before slowly raising my light up the person's form.

"Hol?" A familiar voice calls out. A light clicks on in my direction, temporarily blinding me.

"...Dean?" I question as he walks up to me shielding his eyes.

"It's about damn time." He replies in relief, instantly pushing my flashlight down from his face and to his chest. "I was hopin' you guys would be here. Where the hell is Sammy?" He asks, searching behind me.

I ignore his question and ask him one of my own instead, instantly feeling skeptical. "Dean, why the hell weren't you answering your phone?" I chastise him. "We were worried you got tied up in something."

"I turned it off." He shrugs. "I didn't want chameleon man to know I was here, obviously."

"Yeah, but you could have texted us so we knew you were alright jack ass!"

He lifts an eyebrow at my tone, his eyes trailing to the blade hanging at my side. "Where did you get that?" He quickly changes the subject. "Don't tell me Sammy just gave you a blade without telling you how to use it properly."

"I'm well aware how to use a weapon. I'm not five." I reply starkly.

"Yeah, I know." He purses his plush lips. "But you got me now. So hand it over before you hurt yourself, sweetheart." He responds, reaching for the knife in my grasp.

"No." I back away from him, shaking my head. "I'm not gonna do that."

"No, huh?" His eyes glint mischievously as I take on a defensive stance. "Oh, come on Holly. You don't really think I'm that shifter do you? Cause that really hurts my feelings." He mocks an upset tone, his lower lip jutting into a pout. He talked like Dean, that was for sure, but his tone was too cynical to be reassuring.

"Maybe…maybe not. You could just touch my blade and then I might believe you." I bargain, tilting my weapon towards him with a somewhat steady hand.

"No problem." He flashes his teeth. "Easy as pie." He slowly stalks towards me as I stand my ground. However, instead of touching the silver like he promised, he reaches out to touch my face, his fingers caressing the skin of my cheek gently.

"W-what are you doing?" I scoff, color immediately rushing to my cheeks. I hold back the urge to lean into his warm, calloused palm. Despite his familiar touch, something told me to pull away.

"Just showing you that it's really me, Holly." He whispers softly, his eyes gentle.

"I-I don't need you to _show_ me." I forcefully push his hand from my blushing face. "I need you to _prove_ to me." I reply firmly, deliberately lifting my blade towards him.

"I thought you knew me well, Hol. Don't ya trust me?" Disappointment layers his voice, skillfully as an actor.

I stare at his expression, a small smile forming on his lips to try and reassure my uncertainty, but it does nothing to ease the hair rising on the back of my neck. This didn't feel right. _At all._ This wasn't him. This couldn't be Dean.

"Oh, I trust Dean alright. I just don't trust _you_." I aim my flashlight into his eyes, seeing his once green irises flicker white.

"Shouldn't have done that." He grins mercilessly, his facade dropping completely as he shoves me into a wall.

My head cracks against the window sill of one of the classrooms, causing my head to pound in pain as my weapon clatters to the floor besides me. I groan in agony, rubbing my head where the ache is radiating from.

"So, I guess your feelings for the elder Winchester didn't get the best of you like I thought it would. Pity." He speaks, sounding nothing like Dean now. The way his tongue set carried a slight accent. "I'm quite surprised actually." He strolls to my side and kicks the silver blade away from my reach. The metal skids across the floor and down the hallway.

"Oh, really? And what do you know about _my feelings_?" I mock him, pushing myself off the ground and into a sitting position so I can glare at him properly.

"I know you fancy him. I'm not blind. And, well, you still have that lovely shade of red on your cheeks." He points out.

"Fancy? Lovely?" I copy his tone scornfully. "Who the hell talks like that?" I try diverting his attention to something other than my emotions.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He smirks. "But, anyway, I can't really talk much more. I got some business to attend to so, if you would be so accommodating to tell me where the other Winchester is then I can kill you and be on my way."

"How about I tell you nothing and you tell me where the hell Dean is? And by that, I mean the _real_ Dean. Not some psycho wannabe look-a-like." I throw back arrogantly, feeling my anger beginning to simmer. "I swear if you did anything to him I'll-" A slight tingling sparks in my fingertips, like an underlying current of electricity.

"You know, I see the appeal in why those boys keep you around now, especially, Dean." He cuts off my feeble attempt at a threat. "He has taken a liking to you since you joined their little group. He may not realize it yet, but I know enough." He taps his forehead with a finger to emphasize his point. "You got a fire that kindles a man's heart. But, anyways, back to business, shall we?" He gestures with a hand, his eyes roaming over me avidly. "Since I have the upper hand here and you, well, don't." He smirks. "It's really too bad those powers of yours aren't of any use, though. I could use a good bit of competition."

"You know who I am?"

"Why, yes. You are the Fallen One." He declares smugly. "Many talk of you. You are quite the celebrity nowadays. I just don't get what the big deal is, exactly. You don't look like any sort of deity I've ever seen."

"Yeah, well, let's just say I'm a work in progress." I grunt, struggling to stand up straight. "But enough about me, lets talk about you. Why are you kidnapping Lori Sorenson?" I try using the windowsill behind me for support to get my wobbly legs stable. "What do you want with her?" I demand.

"Someone's direct. I love a girl who has a little backbone." He winks, causing me to gag a little in my mouth. "And, well, about Lori. I can't exactly ruin the surprise or else my head will end up on a pike, if you catch my drift." He specifies, his eyes mocking. "Besides, who said you were in charge here? All you need to worry about is your short time left on this planet, love, and nothing else." He bends down to pick up my blade by the handle, twirling it around in his hands. "Now, let's begin the fun, shall we?"

"How about light's out, you son of a bitch." A voice replies behind him, surprising us both, before a pipe comes into contact with his head.

I watch in shock as the mock Dean falls to the ground, unconscious. My eyes then turn to the figure walking towards me, the dim light of the flashlight, finally revealing his face.

"Dean." I sigh in relief, slumping against the wall. "Am I glad to see you…well, the _real_ you, that is."

"You okay, Hol?" He rushes to my side, observing my body of injuries. He notices my hand still covering the bump where I hit my head and pulls it away, prodding at the area with his fingers. "You hurt?"

"I'm fine. Just a thump on the head." I reassure him as he focuses on the task at hand. With him examining so thoroughly, his face was close enough to observe in the limited lighting. I notice a slightly darker shade outlining the skin of his right eye. It was almost unnoticeable at first, but it was just bruised enough for me to discover it. "How about you? Looks like he gave you a nice shiner there."

"I'm fine." He replies, pulling away once he was done examining my head. "He knocked me a good one, but I think we're even now." He gestures to the pipe in his hand with pleasure.

"Where's Sam?" I suddenly realize his absence. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's okay. He only got a couple scratches, nothing too bad. He's down in the basement tying up this tool bag's partner in crime and watching over Lori." He proclaims, putting an arm around me to help me walk.

"There were two of them?" I stumble along with him, not realizing I really needed the help.

"Yep, the handsome devil back there gave me a face full of fist and when I came to the other had me tied me up in the basement standing watch by the door." He answers as we enter the church's main room. "I should've known it was a two-man job. The signs were all there." He shakes his head. "But, anyways, Lori is still alive so, I'll just say it's a win-win."

"You know, this macho hero act you put on isn't funny." I grumble, rolling my eyes. "Just because you saved me and Lori doesn't mean I'm still not pissed at you. I told you to be careful."

"Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices for the greater good, Hol. You'll learn that soon enough." He proclaims as we reach the door to the basement. He quickly pulls it open and guides me through.

We half-stumble down the steps toward the bottom level where we find Sam filling a cup of water at a sink before handing it to Lori, her face recognizable from the missing report paper. She looked at him gratefully before taking a sip, looking like she'd been through hell. She glances up as Dean and I come down the last step.

Sam turns around to see what she was staring at and jumps to help Dean once he sees me. "Holly!" He calls, grabbing under my arm to aid Dean in placing me down onto a box. "Are you, alright? I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know realize there were two of them. I should've-" He rambles before I raise my hand to stop him.

"No need, Sam. I'm alright. I'm in one piece, see?" I reassure him. "Just next time, I call the basement?"

He lightly smiles at that. "No problem."

"I checked her already." Dean reports. "Just needs a little ice on her head."

"Got it." Sam walks to the refrigerator in the far corner and grabs a few ice cubes out of the freezer. He places them in a cup he grabbed from one of the cupboards located above the sink. By the looks of it, the basement seemed to be used as break room for the clergy. A tiny kitchen, stove fireplace, and refrigerator all resided in the small area.

"Is the other one tied up good?" Dean inquires, observing someone on the far side of the room. I follow his gaze to an unconscious man wearing a religious get-up, not noticing him when I first entered. A rope is snugly wrapped around his chest, securing him to the wooden beam at his back.

"He won't be able to go anywhere." Sam declares confidently. "I used that one knot Dad showed us back in Yosemite."

That answer seems to satisfy Dean as he nods his head in approval, watching Sam finish his task, and walking up to me with a cup of ice. I tilt it at him in thanks before holding it to my head, shivering once the ice comes in contact with my scalp. The ache immediately numbs to a dull throb.

"You two ladies okay to stay down here for a few minutes?" Dean asks, looking to me and Lori. "Sam and I got to get the other one upstairs before he comes to."

"Yeah, I think we're okay, Dean. Thank you." Lori speaks for the both of us.

"We're good." I add, motioning my head toward the stairs. "Go get that dick so, I can give him a piece of my mind."

Dean gives me a wicked grin before rushing up the stairs and Sam soon follows after him. I wait until I hear the door close before turning my attention to the stranger across from me.

"So…you're Lori."

Upon hearing my voice, her gaze shifts from where Sam and Dean had left, to me. "And I'm guessing you're Holly." She replies back.

"How are you feeling? You've been through a lot the past couple of hours." I point out. Her eyes are haggard and rimmed with red. Her knees and legs covered in scrapes and dust. A ring of red wraps around her wrists from the ropes that were bound to her hands earlier.

"I'm…okay. I've surprisingly been through worse." She laughs wryly, taking another sip from her cup.

"Like what?...If you mind me asking?"

"Well…" she begins, "A couple years ago, I was involved with several murders caused by a vengeful spirit. That's what Sam and Dean told me at the time, anyway. Supposedly, this spirit was targeting people that I thought deserved to be punished, mainly because of the necklace I wore. It was cursed. I didn't know I was causing them to be killed. I didn't want them to die. I just wanted them to repent, to change for the better, not to be murdered." She confesses regretfully, her expression turning mournful. "Before I knew it, the thing came after me to finish the job, but luckily Sam and Dean got to it first."

"Wow-I mean, I'm so sorry." I apologize quickly, feeling rude from my remark. "Sam told me you were from one of their cases, but never told me the specifics. That sounds horrible." I sympathize with her.

"It was pretty bad." She agreed. "It took me a while to get back to my old life after that, but I don't regret meeting Sam and Dean. I don't know where I would be right now if it weren't for them."

"I know how you feel. Sam and Dean have done a lot for me too." I elaborate, smiling at her softly. "I'm just glad we got to you this time around."

"Me too." She blows out a breath, seeming lost in her thoughts. "Anyways, do you know if my father is alright, by any chance?" She looks to the man in the corner questionably. "When I realized he wasn't my dad, I was afraid something happened to him."

"I know about as much as you do right now." I mumble pathetically. "Dean and Sam can clue us in once they get back I'm sure." I glance at the door quickly, before taking on a more inquiring tone. "So…do you have any idea why they kidnapped you?" I ask, nodding my head towards her dad's carbon copy.

"Not really, no. All they told me is that I was a part of some bigger plan." She shivers slightly, her arms coming up to rub her arms. "Sometimes I would see them argue over something, but besides that, they didn't tell me much."

"Huh, that's weird. Why...you?" My face scrunches up in confusion. "No offense or anything, I just don't get why you of all people would be on their radar."

"None taken." She responds with the shrug of her shoulders. "And it beats me. Since the last time I saw Sam and Dean, everything has been pretty normal. I started back up in classes at the university and managed to graduate two years ago. Other than struggling to pay rent and finding a job, I've had nothing else to worry about."

I think back to Dean's shape shifting doppelganger when I asked him the same question earlier. _"I can't exactly ruin the surprise or else my head will end up on a pike..." _ He's obviously not the head mastermind of the kidnapping with a death threat is hanging over his head. He had to be working for someone...but who? Something big was definitely going on around here.

I break out of my thoughts as the basement door slams open and the sound of tussling comes to my ears. I look towards the stairway to see Sam and Dean struggling to keep Dean Number Two in their grasp, holding up a silver knife to his neck. I see him hiss and flinch away from the blade as it touches his skin, causing him to lessen his squirming in their arms.

"Son of a bitch tried to make a run for it." Dean grunts, his forehead sheen with sweat. "He didn't make it too far though." He smirks as he slams his copycat down onto the ground next to another wooden beam in the room. "Looks like I know myself better than he thinks."

Sam releases the hold on his arm to grab some rope and Dean struggles to keep him in place as Sam ties him down. As soon as he's secure to the pole, his mouth turns up into a merciless grin, his eyes tilting up to glare at us. "Just because you have me in bonds doesn't mean I'll tell you anything." He seethes.

"What makes you think you have a choice, hot shot?" Dean shoots back.

"Oh, I _don't _have a choice. Not until that girl is cold and lifeless on this very floor." He locks eyes with Lori, causing her to tremble under his icy gaze.

"_Really?_ Judgment's Day is about to run its second course and all you bastards think about is killing more people!" Dean points the knife in his hand back and forth between him and his partner in crime, who was still out cold. "Are you really that desperate for blood?"

"...Judgment day?" Lori repeats, her voice tight with fear. "A-are you talking about the apocalypse?"

Dean's back tenses once realizing his mistake. He turns towards her, his face sheepish as he glances towards his brother for back up.

"We, actually, have an explanation for that." Sam speaks up, his dimples flashing in a desperate attempt to assure her. "But, it's a long story… Do you mind if we step out so, I can explain?"

Lori gazes at the brothers doubtfully. "Oh, alright." She finally agrees, giving in to Sam's puppy-eyed stare. She rises from her seat, looking back towards us before prudently walking up the stairs. Sam shares a look with Dean as he follows after her, closing the door tightly behind them.

After they leave, Dean turns back to his carbon copy, seeing him observe his comrade across the room with concern. Dean notices the exchange and smirks arrogantly. "Fine. Don't want to talk, be my guest." He proclaims, swinging the sliver blade in his fingertips as he strolls to the other side of the room. "I have another bystander who might be willing to cooperate." He kneels down next to the shifter and brings his knife awfully close to his face.

"Stop!" The other shouts harshly, watching Dean clutch the knife's handle tighter in his hand. "We know what's coming pitiful human. It's inevitable. We are just accelerating the process. She will die one way or the other."

"Oh, really?" I finally speak up, causing his glare to shift to me. "And this is your bright idea of making things better?" I chuckle humorlessly. "You guys have more loose screws than I thought."

"We aren't the foolish ones here, Holly." He leers, stressing on my name like an obscenity. "You are."

I scoff, my eyes rolling dramatically. "I'm not the one pulling a kidnapping record over my head just to save my own ass. So, who's the coward? Me or you?"

"Oh, Holy Spirit of God, how clueless you are." He shakes his head disappointingly. "So, very clueless indeed."

"Okay, tough guy then what's the top-secret plan that even the Holy Spirit doesn't know, huh? Or are you just bluffing to save your sorry carcass some topside time?" I rise from my seat to squat in front of him, arching an accusing eyebrow. I wave for Dean to throw me a weapon and he quickly pulls a blade from his jacket and throws it to me so I could threaten him effectively.

"I'm not that stupid, girl. It's going to take a lot more persistence than that to make me have a heart-to-heart." He mocks. "I'll be dead in a day if I tell you what I know."

"How about you tell me right now and we will promise to kill you quick and painlessly? Or…" I quickly tack on, "we can prolong this little meeting with slice by slice until I have it screaming out of you…your choice." I propose, tapping the silver blade against his cheek, seeing the skin welt. I grin at him smugly as he hisses in pain. "And don't worry, I have other ways to hurt you if the silver becomes a little bit too boring for my taste. Now, let's begin the fun, shall we?" I mock his tone.

"Nico! Don't be arrogant!" A voice shouts from behind, coming from the opposite side of the room. Dean pushes him back into place, a blade to his throat. "Tell them what we know." He chokes out from under Dean's hold. "You know what _he_ will do to us! If we don't die by their hands then we will suffer worse than those who rebelled."

"_He_?" Dean's attention turns towards the shifter underneath him. "Who's he?" He demands, his eyes searching his face.

"Are you deaf? We are as good as dead already. Just kill us!" Nico glowers.

"Sorry fellas, you don't get to have the easy way out. Not until someone here squawks. " Dean orders, his command firm. "And maybe if you cooperate enough we might even end it quickly after this…if, and that's a big if, you even make it through the interrogation…" He wavers off ominously, pointing the tip of his knife towards his counterpart's eye.

"W-wait! Alright, alright!" He pleads as the knife stops inches from his cornea. "I'll tell you!" He caves quickly, his eyes shining with fear.

"Joshua. Please…don't." Nico whimpers, looking more vulnerable than I've ever seen him, his impish persona completely wiped from his features. The absolute fear shining in his eyes makes him look fragile, and childish.

"I'm sorry. I must." The other shifter, Joshua, pleas. "I won't suffer for a cause I don't even believe in, Nico. Once we tell them, we will be free from him. Don't you see? He can't follow us in death." Joshua assures him, his voice filled with hope. Dean and I watch the exchange in interest. Despite all the bad these two might've done, Joshua's words tugged at my heart. Nico heaves a sigh and nods his head slowly, agreeing, but clearly reluctant. Joshua smiles lightly at him before turning to Dean. "I'll tell you everything I know."

Dean nods, satisfied with the bargain. "Well, a deal was a deal. Now spill." He adds, lowering the knife.

"We made an agreement…an agreement with a boy." Joshua begins.

"A _boy_?" I tense at the seemingly harmless word. However, it took only one boy to send the world to it's damnation. "His name doesn't happen to be Jesse...does it?" I glance at him anxiously.

"Yes, Jesse. Jesse Turner." He declares, causing Dean and I to share a look.

"And why would he deal with the likes of you two? You're only a bunch of shifters. What are you guys to him, his henchman or somethin'?" Dean asks, skeptical.

"In a way." He confirms. "But it wasn't out of willingness. The last time the apocalypse ensued, chaos transpired. I was scared…frightened even, by what would come of us this time around."

"Go on." I urge as Joshua's focuses his gaze on Nico.

"So, we made a treaty with the boy and made an oath to aid him in ending the world in exchange for security."

"Are you kidding?" My jaw drops open in disbelief. "And you guys believed him?"

"Well…no, but it was all we could do." Joshua defends. "We were hoping he could reconsider us as a part of his alliance. If he saw us as useful and not just some ants to be stomped on., then we could rein the world like it should be. Monsters free to roam and humans hiding in the shadows."

"You think this world belongs to _you_!?" Dean laughs cynically. "News flash asshat: This is our world. Humanity's world. You sons of bitches don't own squat besides the crappy lives you live now. You would just destroy it and just go on doing the next crappy thing!"

"Don't act like humans are so innocent." Nico cuts in, his eyes daggers to Dean's. "You are just as bad as we are, but at least we admit to what we are, monsters." He snaps. "You humans have no excuse with your wars, murders, rapes, and deceits. You lot are just as bad as the rest of us, but you don't have the looks to go along with it. Although, I might say, this meat suit isn't too appealing to look at anyways." He scorns, smirking at Dean's growing irritation.

"You really want to play that game chameleon freak?" Dean jumps up to storm towards him, knife in hand, until I block his advance.

"Dean, stop." I command, firmly placing a hand on his chest. "He's trying to play us. He wants you to kill him before the whole can of beans has been spilled. Let him talk." I stare at him sternly before letting him go.

"I guess you aren't as numb-skulled as you seem Holy girl." Nico purrs, his face wearing a smug grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Save it. I don't charm easily." I reply flatly. "Now, the deal was you tell us _everything_…and I mean everything that little noggin of yours knows. Or next time I will let Dean over here follow through with whatever he plans to do to you."

"It would be my pleasure." Nico mocks politeness. "Who would you prefer I tell it as…little old Sammy…?" His form changes to one of long brown hair and familiar hazel eyes in a split second, surprising me, but they weren't the same gentle ones I knew. They were ruthless. "Or big, bad Dean?" His voice changes instantly, back to sounding low and rough. His eyes, now a beautiful green, stare at me, his mouth set in a smirk.

"You really don't want to go there." I seethe, my face flushing hot with embarrassment and anger. My mouth sets into a scowl. "I could have you slow roasted on a stick in five seconds flat. You do know that right? My powers aren't stable, but I'll be happy to take a practice run on you. I've been dying to ever since we met."

"Nico! What are you doing?!" Joshua reprimands, staring at him in incredulity.

"Oh Holly…why so flushed?" Nico ignores him, pleased with my reaction from his taunts. "You know, you get angry fast for not-"

"Don't. Mess. With. Me." I grimly cut him off. My teeth clench as the sound of blood pounding in my head becomes audible to my ears. A ball of holy fire suddenly blazes in my palm waiting for release.

He eyes the unexpected flash of heat in my hand appreciatively, taking notice of what it took to push my buttons. "Touchy subject, eh?" He clicks his tongue curtly. "Sorry I asked."

I feel Dean's eyes on me so my keep my gaze glued to the next person on my hit list. Now, was not the time for late-night confessions. Definitely not now, or ever. I had a feeling there was something between me and Dean, but I wasn't ready to dive into that conundrum just yet. "Oh, I'll get touchy with you alright."

"Wait! Please, ignore him!" Joshua interrupts, his body struggling against the restricting ropes. "He was never one to collaborate. I apologize on the behalf of his idiocy. If you would spare him, I promise to keep him quiet." He offers. His expression earnest. "Please…he's my little brother."

"Damn. I actually feel a little sorry for you." Dean comments, his tone scornfully sympathetic.

Ease quickly rushes through me at the newest revelation, hoping Nico's words has already slipped his mind. I look to Joshua and nod. "As long as _he _keeps his trap shut. I accept your offer."

"Yes, of course." He complies, giving his brother a firm look before continuing on. "Anyways, as I was saying. The deal was such: protection for those who accepted it and helped him in return. However, others were not so clever and rejected alliance with Jesse. For what he did with them, I do not know or want to know." He shudders. "But that's all I can tell you in the matter."

"What?! That's hardly anything to work with!" Dean complains, eying Joshua doubtfully. "There's got to be something you're not telling us."

"Jesse is very skeptical and his allegiance with us was already shaky to begin with. Only his right hand men know his full plan. My brother and I only search, take, and deliver who he tells us to." Joshua assures, his tone taking on the quality of a solider. "We are named after what we do. We are Seekers."


	9. Three Evils of the Apollyon

_A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see, I know. Sorry I left ya'll in a cliff hanger for so long, but as Chuck would say "Writing's hard". I apologize for the chapter being shorter than usual, but I'm very proud of this chapter. It was definitely a bitch to get out onto paper, but I have to say I'm glad of the result. ENJOY!_

* * *

"So…you're Jesse's hound dogs." Dean jeers, a short chuckle escaping his lips. "Awesome. And what, do you play fetch too? Kidnap a bunch of people just to get thrown a bone or a pat on the head?"

"We're not some mindless mutt." Nico retorts. "We were arranged to be Seekers because we wander with low risk of detection. As shifters, we have the capability of doing many things under people's noses." His eyes gleam with arrogance, his form shifting into one of short black hair and grey eyes. "Just like tricking your little Holly over there, for one example." He quips, his voice mocking mine.

Now, it's Dean's turn for his eyes narrow. His hands quickly tighten into fists and the flex of his forearm displays tendons moving under the skin. "You." He calls Joshua. "If I untie you, you keep his damn mouth shut or else I _will_. Got it?"

"Y-yes. Of course." He swallows nervously as Dean bends down to untie him.

"Hol, can you get something for me? It's in my bag."

"Yeah, what do you need?" I throw a glare at Nico before locating Dean's duffel thrown onto a nearby counter and walk it over to him.

"Just somethin' to help Nico feel a _bit_ more comfortable." He smirks, his hand pulling out a roll of duct tape and throwing it to Joshua once he is free. "Don't forget to make it snug."

Joshua stumbles towards his younger sibling, a frown set on his face. "This is your own fault, brother. You always have to make things more difficult than it has to be." He sighs. Nico opens his mouth to reply, but Joshua quickly traps the snarky comment from escaping his lips with tape. He wraps one time around his head before settling down beside him obediently.

"Great. Now that everyone seems to be on the same page, let's get back to you talking about your so-called occupation." I gesture for him to continue.

"Actually, it's a lot more complex than just my brother and I. You see, there are other groups or, well, clans, Jesse has separated us into. There are Seekers, which is what my brother and I do. Then, Tormentors, who terminate anything Jesse explicitly targets. Sometimes my brother likes to believe he falls in this category." He tacks on ruefully as Nico rolls his eyes. "And lastly are the ones we have never really seen, but are gossiped about plenty. The Possessors."

"Possessors? Of what, Numb nuts?" Dean demands, his eye brow furrowing. Jesse had built himself some sort of army. This was nothing to take lightly, and Dean wasn't, especially if there were human lives at stake.

"I told you. What we know as Seekers is mainly based off of rumors amongst my clan and others. Everything else comes from direct orders by the boy." Joshua explains. "We are the least ranked so, therefore, we know the least. If you really want information on Jesse and his whereabouts then I suggest you're best luck at finding him would be to capture one of them. However, the Possessors are highly trusting of Jesse and are his most loyal. I doubt they would tell you anything useful."

"So, were dealing with Possessors, Seekers, _and_ Tormentors?" Dean speaks aloud, his eyes closing as a hand rubs down his face. "It all sounds like a bad Harry Potter cross over."

I consider Joshua's words and try to assemble my thoughts. There was a lot to deliberate here, besides the fact that Jesse will be more of a pain to get to with a barricade of supernatural sentries surrounding him twenty-four seven. If his clans have been roaming around doing his dirty work him behind the scenes all along, then we might've crossed paths without even realizing it.

"A month ago, I was attacked by a group of demons and one of them mentioned my father. I was confused what he was talking about since, back then, I had no memories. I still don't, but maybe…just maybe he was part of Jesse's little clan all along. The Tormentors. He must've sent them to capture me." My head lifts up from the concrete floor to stare at Joshua.

"Yes, that was Jesse." He nods. "Once he gotten word of God's disappearance, he tried to have you assassinated before you discovered your true self. When the Winchesters found you, he knew it would be that much harder to achieve. He sent Tormentors to finish the job however, they failed. You still got away and he lost five of his best men that night."

"Five?" My eyebrows furrow together. "Dean only killed four."

His expression turns puzzled. "It is true that Dean had accomplished in defeating most of them that night, but it was actually _you_ that slayed the fifth."

"But I didn't–"

"Rebecca." Dean rasps, his green eyes widening in realization. "The one that killed Rebecca."

Joshua sees me stiffen and slowly nods his head. "His name was Asmodeus. He was their leader."

"Son of a bitch." Dean grumbles. His voice sounds distance as the world seems to crumble around me.

"She was working with Jesse." I state numbly. My heart drops into my stomach, bile rising up to my throat. It feels like the Earth is on a tilt and my knees begin to shake under my weight, my body feeling heavier than normal. "She helped him start all of this."

* * *

The next thing I know, I'm bursting through the church's front doors, the chilly dawn air instantly fogging my breath. I try to further myself from the cathedral that holds the harsh truth I never wanted to acknowledge, and stumble down the cement steps. The cold ground comes into contact with my hands and knees', leaving scrapes on my palms and jeans.

Of course she was working with Jesse. How could I've not realized it sooner? Everything always led back to her.

Cold sweat beads across my hair line and slowly drips down my jaw. My heart hammers in my chest, the organ pounding into maximum overdrive. Tears blur my vision, making the world all blend together into an array of hues. Nothing is distinct. My skin tingles, the numbness in my fingers branching out to the rest of my body. My eyes squeeze shut as my breaths come in gasps. I try to take in air, but every heave fails to satisfy my lungs. I choke on the very oxygen that supposedly gives life.

"Holly!?" I hear someone cry, their voice seeming underwater, muffled.

"Lori, stay back! It's not safe!" Another voice warns her. My body turns away from the shouting, wanting to close in on itself and shut down. To give in.

The worst part of all was that I wanted to. I craved to not feel the pain that was flowing through my veins, burning me like acid had replaced my blood.

"Holly, stop!" My ears perk up to the nearing sound of Dean's voice. "You can't do this! You can't let it control you!"

Control me? What is he talking about? My grief? My fear? I had no clue. Before I can think it through, an intense heat flares around me, my body warming to excruciating temperatures until I feel on the verge of implosion. A scream of agony leaves my lips and my eyes snap open.

Then, all I see is fire. Blue fire. It burns hot on my skin and surrounds the ground where I lay. Panic flares through my chest, which only makes the flames grow even larger.

"Holly, hey! Look at me!" My eyes turn away from the sweltering flames and meet his.

Green. It is a gentle contrast from the harsh, icy blue that's consuming my body and mind. A green so deep, so beautiful, that for a split second, I don't see the fear and despair shining in them.

There was so much behind those eyes that couldn't be mistaken. A lot of history. A lot of pain. But there was also hope, determination, and loyalty. I gaze into those emerald orbs until I imagine I am somewhere filled with the very same color.

A meadow.

The breeze is cool and pleasant, making the soft grass move with life. The sky above is cloudless and ever expanding into a gentle blue ocean of space. A surge of calm overcomes me. I didn't need to be scared here. I was safe.

I reside in my personal heaven until the pulsing energy slowly decelerates to a manageable and inaudible thrum. Finally, the raging fire around me recedes, and then vanishes into thin air. My head feels light compared to the hammering torture that consumed my mind just moments ago. I sway and fall forward into a solid chest.

"Don't worry, Hol. I got you." Dean whispers into my hair. His arms gingerly wrap around me before resting me onto his chest, like a parent would to a sleeping infant. "I got you. You'll be alright."

My eyes hardly stay open, barely seeing through a slit of vision I can achieve. Sam and Lori stand by the church's entryway. He holds Lori back from the scene, but his expression radiates the same look of helplessness as her face does.

Dean moves underneath me, shifting my body in his arms so he can pull his phone out of his pocket. He quickly dials a number and speaks into the phone, his chest rumbling against my ear as he spoke. "Hey, Bobby. We've got something, but we're gonna need your help. Get to St. Barnabus Church in Ankeny as fast as you can. We'll be waiting."

* * *

By the time the sun has passed the horizon, a rusty old bumper clunks into view with Bobby behind the wheel. I raise my head from my hands and wave to him after he slams his driver door shut, the metal clunker rattling from the force.

"Hey, whatcha doin' out here all alone?" He calls, tilting his hat down over his eyes to shield from the sun. "Where are Sam and Dean?"

"They're inside." I jut my thumb behind me. "It was getting a bit stuffy in there so, I told them I would wait for you outside." _And mostly because the church is flammable_, I add mentally.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I? Let's head inside." He ushers past me as I rise from my place on the stairs.

"Okay, okay, but first things first." I add, hesitating just outside the entrance. To be honest, I really wasn't ready to go back in yet. I didn't want to have the boys and Lori's worried stares watching me like I could go off at any moment. "How is the research on my sanctified fasting going?"

"You're still not eating?" He quirks a bushy brow and I shake my head. "Well…" he exhales, "the textbooks on you are still pretty low on stock. The lore doesn't really mention much about the Holy Spirit besides God's storybook to humankind."

"You mean the Bible?"

"Yeah. Supposedly, the Blessed Virgin Mary and you are best buds." He shrugs and my eyes widen in shock. "I was pagin' through the thing and read a couple interesting verses. One of them basically stated that the connection between you and Mary's soul is so powerful that it goes beyond and deeper than any other union in the cosmos."

"Well, that's...that's something." I fumble for the words to describe what I was feeling, but nothing covers it. I was beyond speechless. "I mean, that's great, right? A deeper bond with God's right hand woman might give me some leverage. Maybe Big Man might start answering my phone calls next time." I scoff. "Anyways…" I shake my head distractedly, "did you find anything else?"

"Like I said, the books are skimpy, but I did notice something after you guys left." He admits, scratching at the base of his scruffy beard. "I might just spit ballin' here, but seeing Cas and you together gave me an idea. I think what you're experiencin' is pretty similar to possession."

"How so?"

"Usually, when the angel or demon takes over someone's meat suit, basic human necessities aren't needed no more. They don't crave anything. Not emotion, not sleep, not even food. And I think the same thing applies in your case…just in a different circumstance."

"Alright, so I don't feel hungry or sleepy anymore, but I _do_ feel emotion. Too much, might I add." I blow out a breath, raking my hands through my hair. "But, still, I ate and slept just like everyone else. If I was never human, why did I do things I didn't really need to do?"

"Well, when was the last time you actually felt cravings?" He asks.

"I dunno…it's been a while." I think back over the past few months, it feeling more like years, and the wheels slowly start to spin in my mind. "I think the last time, or somewhere around there, was the night I was attacked at the diner. The night…Sariel died." My teeth grind together. It angered me to even mutter her real name.

"Then that might be the answer to your question then." Bobby replies, ignoring the clench in my jaw. "When you went all flame thrower on that demon, maybe turnin' on that switch changed something inside you. You're living off spiritual energy now, not a physical one."

"Huh, I never thought of that before." I consider the statement for a few moments before replying, "So, let's just say that it is some kind of switch." I put forward. "Do you think I could switch it off? I mean, just to keep me under control until I know I can handle myself."

"I wouldn't get any hopes up, but it might work. The only thing is that we don't know what can trigger the switch to even shut down."

"Well, at least we're getting somewhere, right?" I question optimistically.

"Right." He agrees. "Now that you got what you wanted from me, I deserve an update from you. How is the search goin'?" He nods his head towards the church.

I heave a sigh. "Well, Jesse isn't in hiding for no reason. He's gotten a couple friends to help him jump start hell's Big Bang so he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire."

"A couple friends, huh?" His voice peaks in interest.

"Yeah, more like evil henchmen as Dean so pleasantly called them."

"What're we talkin' about here? Demons?" He guesses.

I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jacket, well, Dean's jacket. Mine was ruined with holes burned into the fabric. I'm lucky I wasn't stark naked by the time I reigned in my holy fire. "According to our sources, it seems to be more than just demons."

"You guys got sources?"

"Well, Sam found a case early yesterday morning. A newly posted missing report on Lori Sorenson–"

"Wait." He cuts me off. "Ain't that the girl from the Hook man case Dean and Sam did a couple years back?"

"Yeap, that's the one." I confirm, surprised he even remembered. "Seems like the people that are disappearing aren't so random as we thought. Jesse is having people abducted and Lori was one of many on their hit list. Luckily, Dean got a lead on her before anything bad happened, but we did manage to catch the stooges that tried to snag her up."

"Did you find out what they wanted with her?"

"We aren't exactly sure. We've been interrogating all night. Lori doesn't know anything besides being used as a chess piece in their scheme. All we have is testimony from Jesse's so called Seekers, or whatnot, but we can't really take what they say to heart."

"…Seekers?" He stares at me in bewilderment. "Now you lost me."

I pat his shoulder sympathetically. "Like I said, we have a lot to catch up on."


	10. Double Vision

_**A/N: I LIVEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Yeah, I once again apologize for the long-awaited update. I'm still trying to get back into the grove of where I wanted this story to go and I believe I have a vague picture that will help keep me pushing on. I'm appreciative to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU for being so loyal to me and I just want to thank all of you with virtual hugs. Anyways, like the Winchester's say "I got work to do". Enjoy!**_

As I follow Bobby inside, I instantly cross my arms and ball my hands into fists against my chest. If I ever go inferno again, I would burn myself to the ground before hurting anyone else. Unfortunately, this time Bobby speaks up at my odd behavior. "You cold or somethin'? I gotta blanket in the back of Big Joe you can borrow."

"Um, Big Joe…?" I ask, slowly unfolding my arms, keeping my hands balled tight at my sides.

"Yeah. Big Joe. My truck." He clarifies, jutting his thumb behind us where his clunker sits in the parking lot. "Sometimes the heater doesn't work so I leave a couple blankets in the back in case it gets too chilly on the road."

"Oh. That's Big Joe." I shake my head with a smile. Men and their car naming. "No, I'm alright. Big Joe can keep it warm for me until I get back." I reassure him.

"Alrighty then." Bobby replies, ultimately dropping the subject. He pulls the door to the basement open and motions me through. "After you."

Before we fully make it down the stairs, Sam and Dean can be heard arguing on the bottom level.

"We're way in over our heads on this one, Dean!" Sam yells accusingly. "We need all the help we can get. And you know he's the _only_ one that could be willing to give us the information we need on Jesse." A long exhale, more like an exasperated groan, escapes his lips as he continues. "If he helped us for the first apocalypse, there's no reason he can't for this one."

"Sammy, just don't." The shuffling of Dean's boots can be heard as he paces the room. His voice is tense and clipped.

Another loud huff escapes Sam before he stalks up to his brother to face him head on. "Right now, all we have is another dead end! If we just ask him to pull a couple strings, what's the worst that could happen?"

"A price, Sam!" Dean cuts him off harshly. He pokes a finger to Sam's chest, causing him to take step back. "You and I know a deal always comes with a price. We can't trust the son of a bitch!"

"Trust who?" I interject, when reaching the last step of the staircase. Dean and Sam's heads immediately snap to attention. Their gaze first lands on me then Bobby to my rear. Dean is the first to react. He curses under his breath and runs a hand down his face, his fingers scratching at the stubble growing on his cheeks in agitation. Sam's lips press into a thin line, his eyes quickly taking interest to the floor. Our arrival is obviously something they hadn't expected so soon.

"The girl asked you two a question." Bobby glances between them earnestly. "What're you boys fighting about now?"

"Nothing worthwhile. Their arguments aren't of practical strategy." A voice patronizes, stepping away from the wall and into view, his trench coat being the first thing visible. "I wouldn't suggest either being commendable."

"Cas?" I tilt my head in surprise. "When did you get here?"

"Dean and I called him." Sam speaks. "Told him about what happened earlier with your powers."

His words felt like a punch to my gut. "Oh." One shot and K.O.

I mean, it was probably best to have Castiel here considering my recent incident. Yet, it answered the question I've been pondering all morning. Sam and Dean feared me, again, and they needed Castiel to tame Heaven's war dog. I didn't blame them. They probably trusted me about as much as I trusted myself, which is pretty much zilch. I should be relieved that he's here.

Castiel side eyes the boys, his gaze landing on Dean briefly before focusing on me. "I heard Dean was the one who composed you." He claims thoughtfully. "I think he could be of use to our next training session. _If_ he is willing to participate, that is."

Dean and I connect eyes for a short moment before mine drop down to my boots. I observe the grey scuffed marks on the black leather, trying to keep my gaze from his face. If I were him, I wouldn't want to have to deal with me in any circumstance. He knew what I was capable of. What it took to set me off. The damage I could and can cause to him and his brother. It didn't take me turning into a freaky version of The Human Torch for him to realize all of that. He already knew, yet he tried. He always tried to keep his faith in me. Now, I'm so sure if he believed even a little anymore. Well, here we go, back to square one.

"I don't have a problem with it." He replies coolly.

_Wait, what._ I shake my head and have to pretend to knock sand out of my ears to make sure I heard him clearly. However, it seems that I have with his smirk being directed towards me. "As long as she takes it easy on me, I'm more than willing to be her personal punching bag."

"I, uh, doubt you'll need any help from me…" Sam tacks on. "But if Dean needs to take a breather I can be his step-in, if you want." Another jolt of surprise stuns me to silence. Maybe I wasn't a lost cause after all.

Castiel nods his head gratefully, responding for me. "I appreciate all the help she can get. Maybe Holly will actually pay attention with you two around. She does seem to like you best." He sniffs shrewdly.

"Okay…let's just pretend I _know_ what all of you are talkin' about and move on to the main reason why I'm here." Bobby replies, looking more lost than caught up since he got here. "Where are these Seekers Holly told me about?"

Sam motions his head towards the corner nearest to Castiel. Nico is still tied in the same place as before with Joshua next to his side, except this time, their eyes are closed. "You don't need to worry about them hearing us. Cas put them out while we waited for you."

"And Lori?" Bobby asks as he moves in to take a closer look at them.

"Upstairs in one of the classrooms. She had a hard time taking in Sam's end-of-times speech among _other _things." Dean clarifies, twirling his index finger in a circle by his ear. "Said she needed some space."

Sam rolls his eyes. "Like you could've done it better?" He gestures to Dean mockingly. "Please, by all means, tell us how would you make Judgment Day seem like a walk in the park, Mr. Positivity?"

"Well, I'm _damn_ sure I could've done it better then you, Gigantor!" Dean retorts with a snort.

Sam's eyes narrow at the childish jab at his height. "Seriously? Now, you're pulling out the immature nicknames?!"

"Enough!" Bobby shouts in finality. "You idjits are acting like a bunch of snotty little rug rats!" He steps in between them, a disappointed glare set on his face. "You both have clearly been neglected some serious shut eye this past month. It's been hard, on _all_ of us. I know that, but let's just take it down a notch before we say something we'll regret, got it?" Dean scoffs and turns his back on him briefly and Bobby grabs his shoulder, spinning him back around. "Don't turn your back on me boy. I said do you _got_ it?"

Dean eyes his firm stare for a moment, considering his options before stepping out from under his grip, slowly rising his hands up in the air. "Got it." He states with a dry grin.

"Bobby's right. We had a long night." I step in before Bobby could slap Dean upside the head. Besides, I was all in for taking a well-needed breather. "Let's take five, set our head straight, and get back at it this afternoon." I offer, stretching my arms above my head to limber out the ache in my bones. "I don't know about you guys, but a coffee break sounds heavenly right about now."

* * *

I wrap my hands around the warm mug in my hands, breathing in the fresh cup of Gas n' Sip coffee bean brew. An aroma of creamy vanilla immediately hits my senses. Bringing the cup to my lips just about causes the world to stop like when a person experiences love at first sight, except in this case, it is love at first sip. Eating and sleeping definitely wasn't in my cards anymore, but coffee still very much hit the spot.

"Do you need a moment?" I turn my head to find Dean leaning against the church door entrance, watching me from my spot on the stairs. "I'll be happy to leave you two alone." He winks before pulling a drag from his own steaming cup of Joe. Despite his teasing, it is clear coffee is also his saving grace in the mornings. The dark shadow under his eyes, however, could only be relieved by sleep.

I throw him a quick glare before turning forwards again, watching as a slight breeze blew over the front courtyard, rustling the green foliage of the trees. I try to ignore the feel of his stare as I take another sip, relishing in the flavors playing across my tongue, but now, with my unwanted company, it tasted more bitter than sweet.

It's not that I don't mind Dean here. I just want to be alone. To worry about nothing other than the hot java in my grasp. These days, it is hard to get even a minute of alone time. "You know, you don't have to babysit me. I'm not going to spontaneously combust any time soon. At least…I don't think I will." I add wryly.

Immediately, the tension between us tightens at my bitter tone. I want to take what I said back, but there is no use to. What was said is said, and knowing Dean, he would quickly see through my bullshit if I try to beat around the bush now. You can't bullshit the master of Bullshitting.

Before he can respond, Castiel materializes into space, revealing himself at the bottom of the cement stairs. For once, I'm grateful for his presence. Talk about saved by the bell. "I hope you both enjoyed your break while it lasted." He announces gravely. "Because we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Preceding Castiel's so-called "Spirit training", I find myself sitting Indian style on the dewy grass under the shade of a giant oak tree. I would roll my eyes at the whole sight being cliché if I knew I wouldn't get caught. It's like he's trying to replicate a scene from the Karate Kid or something. Dean clearly thinks the same as he's observing from the sidelines with a pleased grin on his smug little face.

Cas paces in front of me as I swat at a fly buzzing around my ear, impatiently waiting for him to speak. "Holly, I would like you to describe what happened." He begins, his tone taking on a similar quality to a teacher. "The very thing that caused you to lose control."

"Well, Mr. Miyagi." That pulls a snort from Dean and a puzzled stare from Castiel. "I was mad, pissed even, that the woman that I practically called my mother betrayed me and well, the entire planet. So, yeah, I _lost _control." I answer with a sneer.

Castiel nods his head in understanding, ignoring my sass. "It seems that every time you get angry, or emotional, your powers are activated. I believe we have to find to a way to keep your emotions in check so this doesn't happen again. At least, not until it is obligatory."

"So…what you're saying is that I have a case of the Holy Spirit mensies?" My arms cross defensively. If he was comparing my instability to a hormonal teenage girl, then I was about to do a lot more than fry his ass.

"Nice working, Cas." Dean chuckles, his face splitting into a grin. "You just pulled the PMS card like every other douchebag."

I shake my head at him, placing my face in my palms. "I have _feelings_, Castiel. I can't exactly keep them 'in check'," I quote for emphasis, my snark getting the best of me. "Unless you want me to become part cyborg."

"I didn't mean it like that." Cas sighs deeply. "I'm trying to say that your emotions are where your powers seem to stem from. It has always been your downfall, especially in training. Every spark of emotion brings incentive to grow into something uncontrollable." He explains. "I want to prevent that by practicing meditation."

Now, that was unexpected. "Meditation? Are you kidding? I have to become Buddah to find inner peace?"

"Your powers are energy." He simply replies. "It flows through you and connects to every part of your being, just as my grace does in my vessel. Meditating can help you keep control through the power of your mind. It's been a common ritual done by humans for centuries." His blue eyes take in my skeptical expression. He pulls at the tie around his neck, loosening it slightly as he thinks of a reason that will make me reconsider. "Well, if you don't trust my methods then why don't we deliberate yours? How did you make your first connection to heaven?"

With a sheepish grin appearing one my face, I answer. "…Prayer."

"And is that not a form of meditation?" A triumphant smirk forms on Castiel's lips.

Maybe my pride is getting the best of me. Besides if meditation is all it takes to keep me sane, then I should take it. Yet, I still purse my lips in false thought. "Huh, I guess it does."

"Then, let's give it a try. Close your eyes." He orders. I oblige and my eyelids fall closed. "Now, focus on your breathing. Try decreasing your heart beat as much as you can."

I breathe in through my nose deeply and out through my mouth, focusing on the thumping organ in my chest. My heart slowly begins to drag out its contractions, and my breathing becomes slack. Only a couple minutes has passed when I'm on the verge of entering dreamland. "Uh, Cas?" I ask drowsily. "Am I supposed to feel sleepy? Because if I do this any longer I might go comatose."

"Yes, meditation is sometimes used as a sleeping aid. So you will feel slightly fatigued, but you must fight against that urge." He squeezes my shoulder and my eyes slowly open to reveal his face. "We are trying to connect you to your inner energy, not have you fall asleep to it." He smiles encouraginly. "Guide yourself to the energy that is within you."

"Okay then, Mr. Spiritual." I mumble. "Tell me how to guide myself, because I'm the last person who would know how."

"You've always doubted your abilities during training." The angel groans. "You will never improve if never practice." He ponders for a moment, observing me, the hopeless student. "Hm, maybe…" His gaze turns towards Dean who is leaning against a tree trunk. His head is nodding off as he fights off his own unconsciousness. "Dean."

He immediately straightens from his slouch, shaking the sleep from his eyes. "W-What?"

"Go retrieve Sam. I have an idea."

Soon enough, Dean appears with a slightly perturbed Sam. "Hey, Dean said you guys needed me?" When he regards me, I lift my shoulders in an "I dunno" gesture.

"Yes, we're trying a hands-on experiment." Castiel states simply. "I need you and Dean to accommodate Holly in a little exercise."

A flash of nerves shoots through me, making my skin hot. I really didn't like the way this is heading. I didn't want to put them in harm's way, especially if I would be the cause of it. "Cas, I'm _not_ going to use them as my training dummies if that's what you mean." I huff.

"No, nothing like that." He reassures me, giving me an incredulous look. "They are here to be your…" He wavers, wracking his brain for the right word. "Support system, as you humans would call it."

"And how would we do that? Be her little pep squad to cheer her on?" Dean asks sarcastically, waving his hands like pom-poms.

"Well, no." The angel replies sensibly. "I was thinking your presence and encouragement would be enough, but if that is something you would prefer, then –"

Dean's head wrenches back in an unenthused laugh, clutching his stomach. "Ha, ha, hil-_arious_."

Sam and I share a laugh as the tips of Dean's ears begin to turn red. "Actually, if you're my private cheerleaders, I believe a skirt will definitely do the trick. Really helps me feel spiritual. Right, Castiel?" I nudge him with an elbow, waggling my brows.

A proud grin appears on the angel's lips as I play along. "I would believe so, Holly."

"Can we just get to the training already?" Dean sputters as he drops down onto the grass in front of me. His face is now a bright flush of red. "We do have other things to worry about, like the 11 year old brat trying to press the self-destruct button on the world." He states gruffly. "Is that ringin' any bells for anyone?"

That quickly causes the laughter to come to a screeching halt. His reminder of what's to come sobers everyone's mood. The humor that was once on Cas's face quickly fades back to his usual solemnity. "Yes, of course. Thank you for reminding us, Dean." He clears his throat, motioning for Sam to sit down next to his brother. "Now, I was thinking that Holly can use you as a way to project her powers. I want the both of you to think about Holly. About her strengths, the times of her courage, or whatever noble qualities that comes to mind. And for you Holly." He adds, turning to me. "Close your eyes and listen. I want you to focus on them both. Try to sense what they are thinking, and feel the energies that derive from them." His typically gruff voice starts to sounds smooth like honey, his words flowing steadily from his mouth. "If you can decipher their ambiances, then try to understand them. Basically, put yourself in their shoes as you will. This will help you focus on how emotions make you react. To think before acting on them."

Because of the men in front of me, I try to pay attention to Castiel's instructions to avoid messing up in sheer embarrassment. My brows furrow in concentration as I take another deep breathe in, sucking in as much air my lungs can take, and blow out nosily.

After a while of long silence, I begin to detect what Cas is talking about. I don't hear it, or see it. I sense it. At first, Mother Nature seems more alive than ever with how the soil slightly trembles underneath me and how the wind swishes when it caresses the trees and grass as it blows past. I could even sense the tiny insects that find home in the trunk of the trees that scatter the church's grounds. When my fingers begin to tingle and spread to my palms, I instantly become anxious. The meditation is working. Keeping calm, I let it spread up my arm and down to the rest of my limbs, enveloping my entire body with vibrations.

Suddenly, I feel a presence, like the vibes are tugging me in a certain direction. I oblige and give my consciousness over. When I open my eyes, I see two different orbs suspended into a vast, dark space. One is an emerald green, pulsating and powerful, while the other is a light blue that softly twinkles. They are so close they are practically mixed together. It takes me a second to realize that these little orbs aren't just balls of light, they are Dean and Sam. These are their souls. It felt undeniably intimate to see them this way, but also, strangely beautiful. Those little balls of light are their life force. Everything that they ever experienced and felt in one little package.

I stare wide eyed at the precious sources of life, subconsciously reaching out to touch them. iRght when my finger connects to them, a powerful shock of electricity shoots up my arm, and then comes the series of flashes.


	11. The Good Times and the Bad

I'm in front of a house. No, a home. With mint green panels and a caramel-colored door. A boy, about five years old, with big green eyes under a tuft of light brown hair sprints across the lawn. His goal a bushy shrub.

"Hmmm. Now, where can my baby be?"

He's hiding behind a tree, stifling a giggle behind his chubby hand. He pokes his head out and directs his gaze toward the voice. A woman in her mid-thirties with pale, creamy skin. She is beautiful. Her blonde hair almost glowing under the mid-afternoon sun. A yellow summer dress brushes against her knees as she tiptoes past his hiding spot.

"Deean?"

Dean? I look back towards the young boy in an instant. How could I not realize? The same freckles splash across his nose, the same beautiful shade of green in his eyes.

Growing impatient, little Dean jumps out of his spot and grabs the woman. "I'm here! I'm here!"

She swipes him up into her arms. Her fingers tickle at his ribs. "You're supposed to wait for mama to come find you, my silly little angel."

Dean's peal of laughter fills the air as he tries to squirm out of her grasp. "B-b-but I didn't want you to lose me."

She holds Dean close on her hip, her face tilted down to see him eye to eye. "I would never lose you, baby. Never."

"Pinky promise?"

"Cross my heart." She sticks out her pinky and intertwines hers with his. "Now, let's go see if Daddy and Sammy are up from their afternoon nap, huh? And maybe make ourselves a PB and J. How does that sound?"

Dean nods his head eagerly as they make their way up the front porch.

As soon as the door closes behind them, it turns night time. The once, clear blue sky replaced with blackness. The moon dimly shining down upon the house, the clouds eerily drifting over its light. A piercing scream erupts from one of the second story windows and the room bursts into flames.

NO. The flames quickly engulf the house room by room, the lovely home I viewed just a few moments ago turning into cinders, smoke curling towards the sky like a reaching hand.

Dean storms out of the front door with his hands holding a bundle tightly to his chest. He almost trips on the last step before making it to the edge of the lawn. He turns around with tear-filled eyes, tears cutting through the ash that cover his round cheeks.

A giant explosion blows out the right side of the house and another body dives out of the front door. A man clad only in his bathrobe, the cloth burnt around the edges. He shuffles back on his heels and makes his way towards Dean, coughing madly into his sleeve.

"Sammy, is Sammy alright?!"

Dean pulls back the blanket around the bundle in his hand and a wailing cry pierces the air.

The man smiles in relief, taking infant Sam into his arms and holding him tight to his chest.

"Daddy, where's mom?"

He shakes his head, pulling Dean to his side and Sam even tighter into his grasp. His lashes wet with tears. "She's gone. Mommy is gone."

* * *

A childhood unlived. Monsters and hunting becoming the only things they knew. A mother murdered and a father just as likely to be dead until he shows up on the doorstep. Motel to motel, a brief home for a week until a case brings them onto the next town.

Dean grows up spruce and rebellious, dropping out of high school and joining the family business, while Sam surrounds himself in his books and goes on to Stanford in hopes of becoming a lawyer.

The two boys part ways until their father goes silent, more than usual, and they drop everything to look for him, bumping into their first case. That same night Sam's girlfriend, Jessica, dies by the same way his mother did. The pain of her death is so great that he forgoes his career in law and joins Dean on the road. The two hunting together again, this time Sam thirsty for vengeance.

Good never lasts longer than a second in the hunting business. People that cross Sam and Dean's path either dead or dying. Their father selling his soul to save Dean's and Dean selling his soul to save Sam's. The only lightness being the lives they can save; the only difference they feel obligated to make.

The world endlessly trying to be destroyed by one evil or another. Lucifer taking the cake, forcing the boys to choose the world or each other. In the end, they sacrifice, as they have done and always will do. Sam saving Dean and putting Lucifer back in the cage where he would be trapped for an eternity.

I feel every emotion, every touch, every broken bone that they have felt. Dean feeling responsible for his father's death and Sam watching Dean get ripped to shreds and dragged down to hell. Sam tormented by Lucifer in the cage to the point of insanity. The pain so much that I want to explode. To scream.

It feels like my head is about to crack open. So much of their lives, so much of their memories being crammed into my mind until suddenly, it ends in darkness, like reaching the end of a film, and the connection finally breaks.

A strong current runs up the expanse of my arm, like I just touched a live wire, the force of it knocking me back into my own head space. My mind is too quiet after the onslaught of memories that restrained it just moments before. My own breathing sounding too loud, coming in gasps as I stumble backward, my feet shuffling in the grass until Cas grabs a hold of me. I gape at Sam and Dean as my heart restarts and my hands latch onto his trench coat.

A wet trail stains Sam's cheeks as he stares back, his hands shaking. Dean abruptly stands, his own hands wiping down his face. His lower lip quivers.

Their memories, their life. I tore open old wounds wide open with just one touch. "Sam, D-Dean..."

"What was _that_?" Dean strains, his face blotchy and his fingers clenched tight into a fist.

"I-I don't know…"

A hand touches my shoulder and I find Cas. His expression is odd, hopeful. "Dean, she did what she was told. She completed—"

"No, Cas." Dean's head turns up towards the sky, letting the warmth of the sun comfort him briefly. "You had no right to do that. You had no right to do that to _us_." He mutters in a watery rasp. He turns on his heel and strides towards the church, not taking a second look back. Sam still sits silently, his head bowed into his hands, his body trembling.

"Sam, I'm– "

"Talk to him." His voice barely comes out as a whisper.

"I…"

Sam glances down. His eyes close as he clasps his shaking hands together. "Go. Go talk to him" is all he responds.

Castiel places a comforting hand on Sam's back and he immediately relaxes against his touch. His blue eyes meet mine and he nods, his head tilting towards the church where Dean went.

"Go" he agrees.

When I enter the front doors, I quickly spot Dean. He has his boots kicked up onto the pew in front of him. His back slouches and an arm lies across the back of the bench behind him. His other arm is angled towards his mouth with a metal flask in hand, which he takes a generous swig from. It's no doubt some kind of alcohol. "I know you're back there." He calls out.

I stroll to where he sits, each foot cautiously stepping in front of the other. He takes no notice in me as I take place beside him. My mouth opens and his hand cuts me off before I can say anything.

"I know what you're going to say." His speech slurs slightly, his breath tainting of whiskey. "Just don't."

"Then I won't." I heave a heavy sigh before kicking my own feet up onto the pews to join his. "Pass me the flask."

He watches with foggy eyes as I take a long pull, just enough feel the warmth of it settle into my bones. "You can't let a man nurse alone, can you?"

"Not when I'm the reason said man is drowning his sorrows."

Dean shakes his head, tilting it back so it rested against his seat.

"What _can_ I do?"

He looks at me then. No anger or blame in his gaze, just a connection of his eyes with mine before he looks away. "Enjoy the view with me."

I don't understand what he is talking about until he motions towards the front of the church. My eyes follow the swoop of his arm right as the afternoon sun hits the stained glass window centered over the pulpit.

To my surprise, a mosaic of blue, yellow, and green casts across the pews in a colorful glow, angling over where we sit. My eyes squint against the bright light, finally revealing the art that was too dark to see the night before, and haven't noticed until now. Displayed on the glass is a dove.

A halo of gold surrounds the snowy white bird and emerald green olive branches frame its ever expanding wings. Small, blue tendrils of holy fire curled around the branches like vines. I turn to Dean, expecting him to be as enamored as I am, but instead find his gaze back on me. An intricate pattern of the glass's design is splayed across his face. The similarity between the art and the man in front of me is unquestionable. He is just as beautiful and complex as the stained glass. Every piece is uneven and shaped asymmetrically. Separately, each shard of colorful glass looks broken, out of place, but together, they create a masterpiece.

Finally, I understand. Humanity is God's art, God's finest creation, and humanity is what it will take to save the world, to save each other.


End file.
